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Meticulously realistic works mistaken for photos
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Leng Jun’s canvases are so realistic and meticulous — whether stalks of bamboo, a rusting nail, or opulent European furnishings — that they could be mistaken at first for photographs.
Leng, one of the top realist painters in China, has often had to defend himself against accusations that he has used mechanical aids, such as magnifiers or projectors.
An exhibition of his latest works, “Limitation and Freedom,” is underway through December 26 at Art Space.’
“I can’t remember how many times I have had to defend my work and make clear that these paintings are purely done through my eyes and with my paintbrush,” says the 50-year-old artist. “I know some people would use a magnifier or projector, but I am not a machine, I am an artist of sentiment.”
Born in Sichuan Province, Leng wasn’t accepted at any of the country’s major art academies and graduated from a small and unknown academy in Wuhan, Hubei Province.
In 1999 when he was 33, he took first prize for an astonishingly vivid and realistic oil painting of a five-pointed star made of worn, scratched and welded iron. He won overnight fame in art circles and established a distinctive style.
Since then, his mandane, realistic subjects with a surrealistic feel won wide acclaim and many awards. They included a rusting screw, broken pipe, chunk of cement and discarded industrial components.
For him, they represent reflections on modern civilization and he looks beyond the surface.
His feats of perspective often surprise viewers.
Unlike many of his peers and despite his fame, Leng keeps a low public profile and works in a cramped and messy 20-square-meter studio.
Friend and fellow painter Zhu Xiaoguo says it’s a rare person who can work in solitude.
“Only an extremely quiet and pious heart could complete a work of art under such confined and disorderly conditions,” Zhu says.
“What does it take to make art? It’s all here, an easel, canvas and model,” Leng says.
“Some said that painting on an easel is dead and low art, whether in technique or concept. That seems to be very popular in recent years,” the painter says. “Look at my paintings and decide for yourself.”
Date: Through December 26, 10am-5pm
Address: 2/F, 1929 Art Space, 687 Dongdaming Rd
Tel: 5589-7355
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