[Press Release]

Born in Shanghai, one can always feel the influence of Xu Ke’s local South River influence in his ink paintings, making them both atmospheric and spirited. Through his ink and brushwork, some of the paintings present a straightforward picture, with directness and simplicity; yet other more roughly composed paintings have hidden and rich details, which make these works even more interesting to look at.

Over the past decade, Xu Ke’s ink wash paintings have been exhibited in western countries and have been collected by their local Institutions. Untitled is Xu Ke’s first solo exhibition at FQ Projects, and mainly exhibits his most recent abstract ink wash paintings. These nondescriptive works convey a relatively free sense of expression, forming space and atmosphere by reflecting the moment of their creation. In his opinion, Chinese contemporary art should be created through looking at China’s past history and culture, and finding links with the present. This link thereby establishes a new valuable and visual aesthetic.

Visiting Xu Ke’s studio is a very interesting experience. His work space is not large, but because it is filled with a dazzling array of gadgets, it has a unique feel; a broken traditional Chinese rice wine tank has a mouth painted along its crack; empty wine jars are filled with black ink. Xu Ke states “Painting is my chosen means of pleasure when I spend time alone.” Perhaps for Xu Ke, ink wash isn’t only a media for creation, but is also an integral part of his lifestyle and perhaps even part of his spiritual fulfillment.