Dialect
Opening:Oct 26th
Date: Oct 27th to Dec 15th
原点图像之Ⅰ Ink on Paper 纸本水墨 69cm x 69cm 2012
原点图像之Ⅱ Ink on Paper 纸本水墨 69cm x 69cm 2012
Girl 女孩 Oil on Canvas 布面油画 135cm x 110cm 2016
Kid 小孩 Oil on Canvas 布面油画 50cm x 60cm 2012
MountainⅡ 风景-2 Oil on Canvas 布面油画 60cm x 90cm 2014
VeraⅠ 维拉Ⅰ Oil on Canvas 布面油画 40cm x 30cm
Orange 静物-橘子 Oil on Canvas 布面油画 20cm x 35cm 2019
Still Life 静物-释迦果 Oil on Canvas 布面油画 40cm x 20cm 2019
Press Release
AroundSpace Gallery is pleased to present Dialect: A Group Show, showcasing recent works made by seven artists from different countries and backgrounds, in different stages of their careers.
In his Art and Illusion: A Study in the Psychology of Pictorial Representation, Ernst Gombrich stated that Chinese art does not seem to focus on creating immortal images or a convincing narrative, but is more inclined to cultivate a sense of poetry. He believed that Chinese art is rooted deeply in a holistic concept of universe, which is hard to find in Western art.
The seven artists in this group show do not seem to care about whether they belong to the group of Chinese art or Western art. What interests them the most is the spontaneous and persistent pursuit of poetry in their art practice. Though speaking different languages, they all choose painting as their primary medium, and share a belief that what painting can achieve cannot be replaced by other artistic media. Dutch artist Klass Gubbels, the oldest in this group, used a simple composition and thin-applied brushstrokes to portray some plain, or even boring geometric shapes in his still life painting. Seemingly influenced by Cezanne’s figuration style, his works also revealed some sort of oriental and Zen aesthetics. It is difficult to define Swiss artist Alois Lichtsteiner's art as abstract or figurative. In his snow mountain series, he used flexible brushstrokes to create a lofty landscape on canvas, which may exist either in real or in the imagination. Chinese artists Wang Jieyin and Ji Dachun's abstract paintings break the limits of medium or material. With lavish colors and diverse textures, they maximized the freedom and possibilities in painting. Based in Bern, artist Kotscha Reist is known for recreating real landscapes or moments on canvas, a tent in meadows, or a stack of boxes on the shelf. Through a sharp perception and sensitive touches, he filled a figurative subject with abstract feelings and metaphysical rationality. He Daqiao’s painting keeps to the figurative tradition of Academic art, which has solid contours and elegant colors, and brings the exhibition a new depth. Duan Jianwei’s portraits and landscapes provide an alternative possibility of figurative art. He described real objects from a subjective perspective, which branded his paintings with a strong individual style.
Language carries and preserves civilization, and ancient poetry thrives in dialects. These seven artists’ works, are like various dialects of one major language, which will eventually reach a universal destination in the grammar of art. The poetry they collectively pursued, makes it possible for their art to communicate freely among themselves and be understood by Chinese or Western audiences without any barriers.
