Press Release
Red Gate exhibition “Altered Shan Shui States” poster
Red Gate Gallery is pleased to present a new series of work by seven artists in a new exhibition ‘Altered Shan Shui States’. These artists will be bringing their own re-interpretation of Shan Shui under one roof for the first time.
Shan Shui (Chinese: 山水 literally means “mountain-water”), which refers to a style of traditional Chinese ink painting that involves or depicts scenery or natural landscape, has been faced with the eminent question of succession and progression. While the traditional art form is still being widely practiced, Shan Shui in the contemporary sense has evolved to reflect a shift in subjects, compositions and techniques, mainly triggered by the influence of Western culture and rapid urbansiation of China.
One of the exhibiting seven artists Zhang Zheyi draws inspiration from his childhood and injects literati-style aesthetics in his surreal compositions where modern-day figurines exist in the midst of classic Shan Sui. On the other hand, the co-existence of a modern yacht and a fishing boat in the work of ‘THEY’ (Chinese:他们Ta Men) marks a dialogue that transcends time, possibly hinting at their common destiny as players in The Society of the Spectacle. Zhang Qiushi’s compositions are perhaps more conventional albeit the result is an installation made from rice paper collage, mimicking the morphology of the landscape painting. Collectively, these seven artists put on a fresh lens, and the result is a miscellany of works that transform and even disrupt a traditional art form. Whether these Shan Shui works depict an evolved heritage, an existentialist state of affair, a spectacle for consumption or a literary repose, the viewers are invited to drift along in these landscapes, seek inherent meanings and complete the loop themselves, whatever their backgrounds may be.
Participating artists include Chen Jiaye, Hu Wendan, THEY (Lai Shengyu and Yang Xiaogang), Zeng Jianyong, Zhang Zheyi, and Zhang Qiushi.
Curator: Tang Zehui
