The Chinese have an oft-repeated proverb about love and fate, which translates to something like this: “An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.” That proverb holds a pair of special meanings for Buffalo’s art and theater scenes. It serves as the inspiration for a new theater company, Red Thread Theatre, which will launch its first production Feb. 4. It also serves, coincidentally, as the motivation for an exhibition opening Saturday in Buffalo Arts Studio (2495 Main St., Suite 500) featuring work by Austin-based artist Beili Liu. Liu’s work consists of discs made out of coiled red thread, suspended over the floor by more thread, which in turn is connected by opposite walls to form the silhouettes of men and woman. Liu’s work, which is easy to read as a reflection on the idea of soulmates, has been exhibited internationally, including in Shanghai, Bulgaria and San Francisco. Also opening on Saturday is work by Tom Hughes, who will present two sculptures, “The Shotgun Method” and “A Force of Nature,” which incorporate rudimentary light boxes hand-printed with words. “Carefully crafted yet outwardly precarious, they elegantly capture the nervous, awkward moments that make up our day-to-day interactions,” wrote Cori Wolff, Buffalo Arts Studio exhibitions curator. The shows open with a reception at 7 p. m. Saturday and run through March 6. Call 833-4450 or visit

www.buffaloartsstudio.org

. —Colin Dabkowski