Tongji Philip Qian’s “Alloyed Commitments” explores notions of access, legibility, skill, and structure within and between the pieces on view. The exhibition includes work with conservation-grade and found papers, handwriting, leather, t-shirts, wall painting, and video, among numerous other media. Processes can share authorship, authorship can be highlighted and/or negated, and negation can be altered, celebrated, or overruled. What is “going on” in some works is “obvious” (to some and not to others). A few pieces are almost inscrutable, sometimes on purpose and others by Qian go down a particular path.

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"Alloyed Commitments" is presented by Logan Center Exhibitions and curated by Andrew Witkin. This exhibition is made possible by the generous support from the Ng Family Visiting Artist Fund, the Revada Foundation, Today Clothing, and Friends of the Logan Center. Additional support provided by the Department of Visual Arts, the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts, Smart Museum of Art, and the Center for the Art of East Asia at the University of Chicago.

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Tongji Philip Qian is a multidisciplinary artist and the co-founder of TPQ Studio. His artistic practice extends the limit of artmaking through conceptual lenses such as speed, labor, internationalism, and immigration. Rooted in images and words, Qian’s research investigates knowledge production in contemporary art with a scholarly focus on movements such as Minimalism, Post-Minimalism, and Conceptual art. His recent projects include No-risk Hour (2019-), Neighborly Passport Keep Right Except To Pass (2023), Questionnairing Reality (2021), and Art Beside a Single Handshake (2020). Qian’s drawings and paintings are represented in several permanent collections, including the RISD Museum, Mecklenburgisches Künstlerhaus Schloss Plüschow, and the Yangdeng Art Museum, whereas his artist books are housed in a large number of public collections, such as Special Collections at Smith College, Special Collections at the Center for Curatorial Studies Library and Archives at Bard College, Booth Family Center for Special Collections at Georgetown University, Center for Book Arts in New York, and Asia Art Archive in America. Qian earned dual B.A. degrees in Art History and Mathematics from Carleton College, and an M.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design.