Chen Ke is born in 1978 in Tonjiang, China’s Sichuan province. She’s graduated from the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, where artists had many opportunities to explore their emotions and instincts. This free environment, alongside cartoons, fairy tales and comics, helped her to build her identity as an artist. After participating in numerous national and international exhibitions, she worked on a variety of media, including painting, sculpture and fashion design. Chen Ke is recognized as the most representative artist of the New Generation of Cartoon of China.
Background
Various images of little girls, representing the core of human nature, flow like a thread through the works of Chen Ke. Although references to the art of comics are evident, when one analyzes her works in more detail, they become visible elements of style of Western masters such as Caspar David Friedrich, as well as the influence of traditional Chinese paintings, creating an exciting tension. Being eager to experience Chen Ke often surprises her viewers. Not only does she produce her own paper, she embroiders canvases with beads, but she also applies oil paint to stretch cotton fabrics that are popular in her childhood days.
Chen Ke sad girl
Chen Ke is considered the most representative artist of the new generation of Chinese artists. Her melancholic paintings, which express the loneliness of growing up as an only child, show digital images made of bright and colorful light from her kaleidoscopic and dazzling imagination. That’s why the artist says: “My characters are somewhat sad, isolated and powerless and this is exactly how I feel sometimes. My art is as real as my spirit.”As classical artworks of Chen Ke, almost every piece of work shows a little girl with a round nose, who is lost in depression, limited to herself, living in an unreal space, and seems to keep a distance from the human world.
Like porcelain paintings
Usually, the sad girl takes up the center of the whole artwork. With the full expression of the blank as well as the grain like porcelain paintings, the artist fully shows the opposition of the reality. A reality that buries the audience in the waves of the sense of unknown sadness. The sad girl seems to be jumping between the virtual world and the reality, which makes the audience lost in the endless loneliness and long distraction.
Chen Ke and Beijing
In her first two years in Beijing, she felt lonely and what she could do was to paint and put her moods into the painting. She believed this is the reason why many people think that the girl in her painting was actually her self. And the girl in her painting grew up with the growth of the artist. She believed her art appeared from her daily life, so she hoped art could enter the daily lives of people.
Chen Ke and Fashion
She thought fashion and art have no differences at the top point. She has cooperated with many fashion brands. In 2008, Fendi invited Chen Ke to join the Fendi special handbags Baguette Anniversary commemorative edition series; she designed a handbag for the series. In 2014, Chen Ke designed for the Vogue FNO series to celebrate the ninth anniversary of Vogue magazine.
Xia Yan, born in 1975 in Guizhou, is a famous contemporary artist. He graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Guizhou Normal University in 1998 and is now an associate professor at the Fine Arts College of Guizhou Normal University. In recent years, his works have gradually been recognized by collectors at home and abroad. K11 Art Space, Chengdu Contemporary Art Museum, Chengdu Blue Top Art Museum, Singapore Simin Art Garden and other important institutions have exhibited and collected their works. Xia Yan’s works revolve around the relationship between human beings, nature and festivals. His painting style has some fairy tales, giving a sense of dreams and innocence, but also revealing reflections on the environment.
Artistic introduction Born in Guizhou in 1975. In 1998, he graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Guizhou Normal University (now the Academy of Fine Arts) and stayed at the school until now. In 2005, he graduated from the Department of Painting, Department of Painting, Central Academy of Fine Arts. 2006 Entered Guiyang “Urban Parts” Contemporary Art Studio 2012 Graduated from the Digital Media Department of Xiamen University Software College with a master’s degree
Afforestation 150x250cm oil on canvas 2012
ARTbaiguan: How do you balance teaching work and personal artistic creation with so many years of coaching career? Xia Yan: Teaching and creation seem to conflict with working time and space, but in fact, the two are complementary to each other. Teaching and creative practice are the best knowledge-transforming relationship;
In the same festival 60x60cm oil on canvas 2014
ARTbaiguan: We see some characters appear on your screen. Does this have anything to do with your life or your relationships? Xia Yan: Some are related, some are fragments of images I downloaded from the web. The current works pay more attention to things in the public environment, and all the roles are almost irrelevant to their own life circle;
Mr. Pushing Stone 90x90cm 2016
ARTbaiguan: There are many people who like your Soshan series. What is your creative inspiration? Xia Yan: Childhood memories, it is a nostalgic homesickness.
Four or five white stone 100x150cm cloth oil paint 2013
ARTbaiguan: Which period of art or artistic activity has the most influence on you? What is reflected in your work? Xia Yan: After the Second World War in Europe, I really liked the works of art with realistic criticism. The forms and language of the works of artists such as Kiefer, Richter, and Tuymans have influenced the establishment of my value judgment and creation system.
Obedient 90x60cm 2016
ARTbaiguan: How do you choose new ideas derived from the creative process? Xia Yan: The new idea is more to take, not to be…
ARTbaiguan: Do you think that a work that combines traditional culture is more meaningful than a purely contemporary work? Xia Yan: It depends on the context in which the works are displayed. Some people use a good license to play the game. The works must not be simple binary opposition. The problems of tradition and contemporary, conservative and open, black and white are not directly comparable to right and wrong, good and bad. They are a rich complex of dimensions that are interpenetrated;
Support wall 90x90cm cloth oil color 2016
ARTbaiguan: Many people now believe that painting on the shelf is bound to die, and that installation art and new media art are the future development trends. What do you think of their views? Xia Yan: This is the law of development. As for the assumptions about the future, I can’t play the role of the prophet.
Cai Wei’s beautiful scenery 90x90cm oil on canvas 2015
ARTbaiguan: Whether it is painting or other art media, you will face the problem of effective expression between language and thought. How do you think about solving these problems? Xia Yan: Thought is the first. Language is more of a service for the mind. Of course, the validity of the expression of the purely linguistic form cannot be ruled out. I think that the development of society needs more truth than beauty. Therefore, in the current works, I am more and more inclined to intervene in thoughts, rather than the shaping of pure form aesthetics;
“Yu Hang-1” Linseed Oil Color 150x150cm 2010
ARTbaiguan: How do you think about the impact of the social behavior of “circles” on artistic creation? Does the advantage outweigh the disadvantages or do more harm than good? Xia Yan:Many problems cannot be treated with advantages and disadvantages. The WeChat circle of friends is the most effective way to spread today. This is also a kind of “circle”. It is difficult for us to reject this highly efficient way of communication. As for the interpersonal circle of reality, what I want to say is that if we have no way to circumvent it, then we should use it well. After all, the circle is an effective way of communication.
ARTbaiguan: As an artist, what do you most want to tell the general public? Xia Yan: Hello! I am Xia Yan
Solo exhibition: Painted Visual Personal Works Exhibition (Guiyang) 2007 Unknown Mountain – Xia Yan Solo Exhibition (Jinse Gallery, Chongqing) Group exhibition: 2011 broke into Taiwan (An Desheng Art, Taipei) Suddenly (Wafu Gallery, Shanghai) Mixed-up image–China Contemporary Oil Painting Invitational Exhibition (Xi’an Art Museum, Shijiazhuang Museum of Contemporary Art, Hubei Art Museum) 2010 Field Spread (Celebrity Art Institute, Shanghai) Mixed-up image–China Contemporary Oil Painting Invitational Exhibition (Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen) Field Spread (Blue Top Art Museum, Chengdu) Varied landscape (Moon Lake Art Museum, Shanghai) Vipassana (798 St. Space, Beijing) Leading in 2009–Nomination Exhibition of Chinese Art Critics (Beijing) The Theme Exhibition of the First Chongqing Young Artist Biennale “Cultural Imagination of Contemporary Art” (Chongqing Convention and Exhibition Center, Chongqing) Chinese Situation–Contemporary Art Exhibition (501 Art District, Chongqing) 2008 Desire Reality (Sin Yi Yuan, Singapore) Southwest Power – Contemporary Art Invitation (Roving) Exhibition (Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chengdu) The Waves Program – Sino-German Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition (Sichuan University Art Museum, Chengdu) The 4th Youth Art Exhibition of Guizhou Province (Silver Award) (Guiyang Art Museum, Guiyang) Landscape – Seven People Exhibition, 800 Art Museum (Shanghai) Post-Pioneer China Contemporary Art Exhibition (Hong Kong) Shanghai Spring Art Salon (Shanghai) “Art is a kind of work” Southwestern Contemporary Art Studio Invitational Exhibition (Shanghai Mengnali Art Center) “Animal Carnival” Chinese Youth Artists Exhibition (Chengdu Sichuan University Art Museum) “The Quartet of the Oral Voice” The 3rd Guiyang Oil Painting Biennale Guiyang Art Museum) 2006 “New Power—China” Contemporary Art Biennale Beijing Invitational Exhibition (Beijing TS1 Contemporary Art Center) Urban Parts—Contemporary Art from the Summer Capital (Chongqing Jinser Gallery) “New Power—China” Biennale of Contemporary Art (Shanghai Yuangong Art Museum) Urban Parts Contemporary Art Studio Works Exhibition (Guiyang Taste Space) “Playing in the 60s and 70s” Art Exhibition (Guiyang) “Lan Yi” Oil Painting Exhibition (Guiyang) 2005 The “Baihong Imagery” Theme Exhibition of the Central Academy of Fine Arts Academy (Beijing) 2004 “China’s New Vision”—Chinese Youth Artists’ Works Exhibition (Shanghai) 2003 The First Shanghai Spring Art Salon Exhibition “Joint Exhibition of Young Artists” (Shanghai)
Zhang Xiangming: The Inner Vividity Hidden in The Hyperrealism
Among the artists based in China born from the 1950s to the 1970s, many of them are famous for the female portraits works in realistic style. The artist Zhang Xiangming, who is born in Shandong Province and Graduated from Shandong Normal University art department in 2003, defines his women portraits as a realist style, but actually it is shown quite clearly on the paintings the artist’s observation and refining of the inner world of these figures. In these faces and eyes, the characteristically vivid beauty of Chinese girls escapes from the classic close-up portrayals of hyperrealism which seems no easy to catch, but is presented by him on canvas with great clarity.
The series called Beijing Girls is the artist’s experiment and exploration for the beauty of oriental women. Among them some early works are portrayed with headdresses and make-ups originated from Chinese opera, which have also been added to the later works as “unreal details”, tending to display the hazy implicit nature via featured oriental elements.
Artbaiguan: We noticed that some of your works have typical marks of Hyperrealism, is this the main direction and technics of your career?
Zhang Xiangming: Yes, my works tend to be realist, like the series Basketball created in 2014, but I had to suspend it after completing the 7th piece because of some limitation unexpected.
Artbaiguan:Beijing Girls should be one of your most acclaimed series in China as well as in other countries, Could you talk with us about your intention for it?
Zhang Xiangming: Depicting female portraits is always my passion. I have never tried to paint portraits like these before 2006, but in my works I found myself partial to depict the face expression, so I gradually removed the body and focused on the closed-up faces. I named them Beijing Girls because my studio is in Beijing and all the painting models are based here.
Artbaiguan: It is regarded as a portrait work from the first sight, but we can find some special artistic effects in it. What is your intention for them?
Zhang Xiangming: Zhang Xiangming: Each one of my work is originated from the photo of a real person, but my aim is not just to depicting them. I reconstruct and integrate the facial features, trying to present in my paintings the inner feelings of the oriental women that I perceive, and construct my interpretation of the beauty.
Artbaiguan: We found that some of your portraits are based on images of public figures and stars, aren’t they?
Zhang Xiangming: Yes, I also choose images of celebrities as references.
Artbaiguan: Which part of your work do you think is the most painstaking one that takes you most of the time and energy?
Zhang Xiangming: For me the most challenging part is not dealing with technical details, but to be able to grasp the people’s emotions and feelings in that very moment, it is the crucial point of the whole work but also most difficult to complete.
Artbaiguan: The dimensions of this series are all huge, is it an advantage o disadvantage for your depiction?
Zhang Xiangming: It is an advantage, for sure. Because usually a painting in large size leaves to the viewers a strong visual impact and deep impression, making it more than just a painting.
Artbaiguan: What do you want the viewers see when they look at your paintings?
Zhang Xiangming: I hope they can be touched by every figure’s inner spiritual nature hidden in the eyes and under the face, not just be surprised by my painting techniques.
Zheng Lu: Reconstruct the oriental culture with a contemporary expression
“Creation now for me is a part of my life, every one of my work is like one of the tiny pieces of my life. I blow it up because it is importante to me, and I interprete it in an unique way.”
——Zheng Lu
Zheng Lu, Sculptor, born in Chifeng in Inner Mongolia in 1978.
In the artist’s own words, he has been brought up in a family who lived a life close to the texts, both in work and off time. The family atmosphere gave him such a strong influence that the texts from Chinese literature once became the core of his sculpture creation and the source of the inspirations.
Chinese Ancient Literature as A Starting Point With Contemporary Expression
In childhood Zheng Lu has spent lots of time staying with texts, he helped his father to copy his articles when 6 years old. Based on this experience, the audiences should not be too surprised to think about the artists idea when looking closely at his metal work, Water in Dripping(2015), constructed by “words”. Actually these texts are from the Chinese ancient poem Wan Zhi Shui written by the realist poet Bai Juyi in Tang Dynasty. It talks about the metamorphosis of the water between the statical and dynamic status as an metaphor of principles for conducting. The artist intended to present the drastic moment of the water, interpreting both the static and dynamic aspects of it with the whole text of the poem.
According to Zheng Lu, the Wan Zhi Shui by Bai Juyi is to some extent the continuation and development of the thought of Zhuangzi, the ideologist, philosopher and representative of Taoism. Today, it comes to him to reinterpret the thoughts of these grand ideologists using contemporary languages and expressions on the base of his own observations and reflections, trying to give the oriental classic culture a contemporary appearance. This is highly thought of in the field of Chinese contemporary art.
The Uniqueness May Become the Limit
When everything is rapidly developing, taking a look back can actually be another way of moving forward.
——Zheng Lu
In Zheng Lu’s point of view, one big question of the process of sculpture creation is how to break the traditional rule fixed at the beginning of professional studies, which always requires the artist to start from a concrete object. For example some of his works are based on texts, an object quite concrete, which for him is to some extent a kind of limitation against the creation. Being willing to and good at breaking the old way of thinking and the fixed method of creation is hard but extremely necessary for the artists.
The Crossover Concept Should Fulfill the Need of Expression, But Not to Be the Starting Point
Zheng Lu believes that, the trend in the future will no longer be based on single media o material. The world changes rapidly at every moment, the everyday information is in an explosive growth, all these require that the artists should catch the pace of the world. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t let the trend to limit his creation.What he concerns about is not the media, due dimensional o three dimensional is not so important, what he is doing is to consciously give up the inherent awareness and way of expression, keeping the creative state through the continuous self- criticizing.
