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Art exhibition a reminder of summer’s splendor, allure
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IN camaraderie with hazier days, the “Fireflowers” group exhibition at Art Labor Gallery pans out like a surreal mirage.
Seven prestigious artists are represented in the exhibition — Jayson Atienza, Marc Standing, Shang Chengxiang, Howie Tsui, Wang Qing, Zhou Fan, and Zhou Jinhua. Although their respective styles span a wide range of genres, the overall effect of the art meshes well and aims to empower rather than baffle.
Avoiding the ambiguous nature that some contemporary art ventures toward, “Fireflowers” reminds the viewers of the allures of summer.
Canadian Martin Kemble, director of Art Labor, recounts his tale of diaspora, which is also prevalent in the roots of Howie Tsui. Whereas Kemble was born in Canada and then came to China, Tsui was born in Hong Kong and then moved to Thunder Bay, Ontario, where he was raised amid racial sentiments against Chinese.
“Howie’s work is not about the exclusivity of the diaspora experience… We raised ourselves. And because of that, we can deal with anybody,” Kemble says.
This theme of resilience powerfully infiltrates Tsui’s art.
Laughing in the face of fear, Tsui’s “Forest Romp” combines a multitude of influences such as Chinese fables and Japanese shunga. He would do three months of research beforehand, studying all of the aforementioned sources to fully immerse the viewer into his phantasmagoric world.
Marc Standing, a finalist of the Sovereign Asian Art Prize, is another outstanding example of resilience and diaspora in art.
He was born in Zimbabwe — the bread basket of Africa — but his family was forced out due to decolonization efforts, and they were relocated to Australia. His work contains a lovely pastiche of aboriginal art as well as contemporary techniques, creating a multi-dimensional effect.
“His painting techniques (feature) sharp lines, yet kind of a rough wash… but also he paints with rice, and it all has a sort of cellular, memo-graphic meaning for him… There’s nobody in the world that paints like this guy… His skill as a painter is completely unique,” Kemble says.
The tactful motifs behind the paintings and even the techniques themselves guide the viewer through Standing’s search for identity.
Artist Shang Chengxiang contributes some of the most surreal pieces in the group. His set of watercolor pieces is instantly mesmerizing. Colorful billows of smoke and cloud arrange themselves in a tantalizing array, making an instant visual impact that never ceases to amaze.
Shang’s paintings have the distinct ability of communicating the silken surface of dreams to the viewer. Whether it is a Magritte-like man with clouds levitating near his bowler hat, or a man standing on the tailbone of a whale, Shang is able to convey a delectable sense of unreality.
One piece in particular is especially lucid. “Journey in the Clouds No. 3” draws inspiration from a photograph of an erupting volcano in the Philippines. Shang painted these two men who were holding hands and actually walking toward the volcanic eruption, and that in itself is surreal.
The “Fireflowers” group exhibition encapsulates the dulcet yet unearthly feeling of summer in Shanghai. Tying in with tradition, every artwork included establishes the gallery as an innovative member of the Shanghai art scene.
Date: Through August 16 (closed on Mondays), 10am-7pm, Tuesday-Saturday; 12-6pm, Sunday
Venue: Art Labor Gallery,
Address: #411, Bldg 4, 570 Yongjia Rd
Tel: 3460-5331
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