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Artist depicts disappearing worlds
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A solo exhibition of artist Zhao Chun titled “The Visual Language in Spring” featuring 31 of his canvases, a long scroll of ink-wash painting and a set of installations will be displayed at the new Spring Art Museum, which Zhao owns, starting tomorrow.
The museum, covering 1,200 square meters, presents contemporary and modern art to the public.
Born in 1970 in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Zhao is a graduate of the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 1995.
Like his peers, Zhao also sought opportunities in Beijing and was once a member of the renowned Songzhuang, the best-known and largest artist community in Beijing, with 2,000 resident artists.
Several decades ago, it was just a remote place for poor artists to find shelter in the eastern suburbs of Beijing. They talked about art, created art and shied away from the outside world.
“I experienced the pains, the freedom and enjoyment living there,” Zhao recalled. “I am proud to say that I was once a Songzhuang artist.”
Zhao has done well and has a spacious studio and a private club in Shanghai. His canvases are sought after by collectors from both home and abroad.
Some like to compare Zhao’s work with that of Chen Yifei (1946-2005), one of China’s most famous oil painters, who established a visual empire in fashion, modeling and film.
Zhao captures vivid scenes in the life of minority Miao women with subtleness and elegance.
“The paintings created by Chen Yifei and Zhao Chun share the same expectations of Western viewers in regard to their understanding of the Oriental. The Oriental flavor, such as reserved elegance and mystery, is expressed through depiction of Oriental females,” said Jia Fangzhou, a noted art critic.
Zhao painstakingly focuses on the jewelry and dress the women wear, with a harmonious ambience permeating their surroundings.
“These minority women are very quiet in their own world,” Zhao said, “But ironically, their surroundings are changing rapidly due to the outside economic impact. I am rather concerned that these pure and pious faces will one day disappear from my brush.”
That theme shows up in his installations at the exhibition. One is comprised of cotton and tree stumps. The cotton is made into clouds hung on the ceiling.
“This is a silent discussion between the sky and the Earth,” Zhao said. “I hope that viewers ponder what we have done to nature.”
Date: Through May 31, 10am-5:30pm, closed on Monday
Address: 655 Fuzhou Rd
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