“Inheritance and Innovation — 2019 Chinese Contemporary Art Invitation Exhibition” is being held at Shenzhen Art Museum. Entry is free.
The exhibition is part of the museum’s “Gathering in Shenzhen” project, which promotes young Chinese artists. The project covers almost all forms of artistic expression in present-day artistic circles, ranging from traditional painting and calligraphy to modern ink painting, and from easel painting and installations to behavioral art and images. The numerous varieties and diversified forms of exhibits present an emerging and dynamic outlook on Chinese art.
Highlighted artists at the exhibition include painter Pang Maokun and sculptor Dai Yun.
As Sichuan Fine Arts Institute president and one of the most important Chinese artists, Pang is renowned for his expertise in classical Western oil paintings, but in 2017, he began to modify the perception of well-known scenes of great classical Western oil paintings, infiltrating them with a provocative and ironic effect.
Pang Maokun’s oil painting “Readers.”File photos
In his oil painting “Readers” (2017), which is exhibited at the exhibition, Pang paints a modern man in a down-filled coat looking at his mobile phone and sitting opposite St. Simon in Peter Paul Rubens’ famous painting “St. Simon” created in 1611. Pang once explained that this oil painting series is about “reclaiming the classic by getting inside it, rediscovering it and taking a new path.”
Dai Yun’s sculpture “Bodhisattva Holding a Lotus.”
Shenzhen sculptor Dai is deeply fascinated by bricks and tiles, which can be found easily in some old walls and houses in his hometown, Xi’an. Dai witnessed the changes in Chinese cities and gradually found his artistic language. He uses grey and red bricks in a brand new way to create sculptures. No matter whether he is depicting classical figures or vessels and daily objects, the rough texture and cracks of the bricks give the detailed sculptures rich historical flavors, bringing to the audience novel insights into the relations of humans and their history. At the exhibition, visitors can admire his brick sculpture “Bodhisattva Holding a Lotus” (2011).
Dates: Until Nov. 3
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mondays
Venue: Shenzhen Art Museum, inside Donghu Park, Aiguo Road, Luohu District (罗湖区爱国路东湖公园内深圳美术馆)
Metro: Line 5 or 7 to Tai’an Station (太安站), Exit A and then take a taxi