GROUP EXHIBITION

Sundaram Tagore Gallery and curator Dr. Iain Robertson bring together emerging and established artists from China in The Bright Eye of the Universe: Six Chinese Artists Unite Heaven and Earth.

Combining ancient techniques, historical iconography and Daoist philosophy, these innovative artists explore the ways in which traditional Chinese culture lives within the collective consciousness of the current generation.

Photography, paintings, ink on paper, and sculptural installations by this select group of rising talents will be on view concurrently at the gallery’s Chelsea location.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

YANG XUN, one of China’s most prominent and influential young artists, infuses his paintings with historical references and iconic imagery, producing ethereal, dream-like landscapes that propel the viewer to another place and time. His work is included in prestigious collections throughout China, including the Shanghai Art Museum, the Shenzhen Art Museum and the Chengdu Contemporary Art Centre.

In a departure from the colourful figurative works he’s known for, Beijing-based artist GUAN YONG presents a stunning new series of paintings articulated using a minimalist vocabulary. Rendered with humility and moderation—virtues of Daoist philosophy—he explores the effects of light on opaque objects and the point at which solid form dissolves into abstraction.

Photographer SHI GUOWEI skillfully transforms black and white images into visually compelling social commentary. In his new series of colour-saturated landscapes, the artist draws attention to industry’s environmental effect on nature and the devastating impact of chemical pollution on future generations.

In his new series of architectonic paintings, HOU YONG questions the basic elements of painting, such as composition, visual language and meaning. By altering the assemblage of pictorial planes, he both guides and impedes the viewer’s sense of orientation, creating an intriguing new visual order.

The gravity-defying sculptural works by Mongolian artist ZHENG LU appear to be wholly Modern in their stainless-steel fabrication and ambitious technical execution, but a closer look reveals thousands of Chinese characters inscribed onto the surface of the metal—a nod to antiquity inspired by the artist’s longtime study of traditional Chinese calligraphy.

Contemporary ink artist HANG CHUNHUI embodies the meticulous skill and attention to detail that defines traditional gongbi painting. The artist looks to the past not only in terms of technique, but also in his choice of subject matter–specifically landscape and nature–both fundamental themes in Chinese painting. Hang Chunhui recently exhibited at Det Nationalhistoriske Museum, Denmark, where he received the Brewer J.C. Jacobsen’s Portrait Award.

ABOUT THE CURATOR:

Dr. Iain Robertson is head of Art Business Studies at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. He was senior lecturer in Arts Policy and Management at City University London. Dr. Robertson has authored several books on emerging art markets and written more than one hundred articles for the arts and national press. He consults for private industry and academic organisations across the globe.