Press Release
Zoon – Dreamscape
September 7 – October 17, 2013
Pékin Fine Arts is pleased to present an exhibition of new works by Huang Zhiyang. Zoon – Dreamscape” (2008-present) is Huang’s 3rd solo exhibit with the gallery and his first in the Pékin Fine Arts Hong Kong gallery space.
Huang Zhiyang, born in Taipei in 1965, graduated from the Taipei Chinese Cultural University in 1989 majoring in Chinese traditional ink painting. Huang has been based in Beijing since 2006.
“The world of Zoon – Dreamscape (2008- present) is similar to a primal jungle. It dominates the painting surface, creating a no-way- out feeling. It seems that one is about to be submerged or overwhelmed. Huang, in describing his painting style in this series, alludes to his generous use of the flowing movement of water. He first “floods” his painting, then, as it gradually dries, he applies layers of color, again and again. By repeating this process many times, he is able to create overlapping color, giving layers of painterly depth to the ink painting. Huang Zhiyang says he first randomly “creates a space and then proceeds to break it”. This “random” act seems to imply a state of creation somewhere between “automatic” and “unintentional”.
In the compositions of Zoon – Dreamscape, Huang Zhiyang creates a sense of visual disorientation. Not only is one reluctant to enter the jungle, it is also impossible to penetrate. Precisely because of this, the Zoon – Dreamscape works appear as a series of walls blocking one’s view. One may feel that there are some spaces where entry is feasible, but these also give rise to trepidation and fear regarding the next step. The psychological sensation, brought on by Huang’s unique visual language, is akin to being lost in an im- penetrable jungle, and the result of his juxtaposition of colors in each painting. Moreover, Huang Zhiyang’s choice of colors summons to mind thoughts of lichen or fungi. In Huang’s words, it seems that the very air is permeated with a “beautiful but pathological violence”. ——Wang Jiaji
Huang Zhiyang is widely regarded as a master of innovation using traditional ink and brush painting. His gestural 360-degree painting, placing the xuan paper on the floor, walking around it and painting freely from the four sides, has been likened to the abstract “action painting” works of American artist Jackson Pollack. Huang represented Taiwan in the Taiwan Pavilion at the 1995 Venice Biennale.
Huang’s works are collected by:
UBS Bank Art Collection, Basel, Switzerland
USA Art In Embassies Collection, State Dept., Wash DC
Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan Taiwan Museum of Art
Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan Hong Kong Museum of Art
Pekin Fine Arts(Hong Kong)
Union Industrial Building, 48 Wong Chuk Hang Road, 16/F,Aberdeen (Wong Chuk Hang), Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2177 6190
Fax: (852) 2177 6183
info@pekinfinearts.com
www.pekinfinearts.com
