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| Wall in Black Bridge Artists' Village, Beijing |
A week ago I was still in Hong Kong, taking photographs of doors, windows and temples in Wan Chai, enjoying the visual chaos and contrasts. Today I felt compelled to go and eat dumplings in one of the Shanghai places in Ashfield to be surrounded by people speaking Chinese, and some of the same clutter and confusion that reminded me of China. I have been thinking about some of the artists I met in the last 5 weeks, and the works that affected me most profoundly, in ways that I am not yet quite able to articulate. In particular, there are works by the painters Hu Qinwu, Liang Yuanwei, and Shi Zhi Ying that I found especially beautiful and thought provoking. The practice of each of these artists seems so securely grounded, informed by their personal histories as well as culture and belief (in the case of Hu Qinwu and Shi Zhi Ying) and a deep knowledge and appreciation of art traditions both Chinese and Western in the case of Liang Yuanwei. Here are some of my favourite works.
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| Hu Qinwu, 'Earth Grid', reproduced with permission of the artist and China Art Projects | | | | |
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| Hu Qinwu, Untitled, reproduced with permission of the artist and China Art Projects |
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| Liang Yuanwei, Study, photographed by Luise Guest and reproduced with permission of the artist |
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| Liang Yuanwei, Study, photographed by Luise Guest and reproduced with permission of the artist |
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| Shi Zhi Ying, work from Sea Sutra series, photographed by Luise Guest and reproduced with permission of the artist |
I also love the works of Hong Kong artist Carol Lee, which are both meditative and melancholy. I love their suggestion of 19th century photographic experiments, and the way that her technique of using the effect of the sun on yellowing paper carries within it her meaning of the passage of time, the brevity of life and the unreliability of memory.
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| Carol Lee Mei Kuen, 'Baby's Wear', image reproduced with permission of the artist |
