LU CHAO

Lu Chao’s oil paintings draw their formal inspiration from traditional Chinese ink painting. His original technique, in which a bold and adventurous use of black and white mirrors the drama of the story-telling, pays a remarkable tribute to the economy of means embodied by traditional Chinese black ink painting. However, his narrative, concerned with the interaction between human being and sources of power yet as terrestrial authority yet as metaphysical entity, fits entirely into the ‘humanistic’ Western tradition. A subtle humorous note permeates his glimpses on contemporary society where anonymous human faces or bodies in miniature seem to be blindly accepting their fate. ‘We find it difficult to truly understand our own persona, and we find it even more exhausting to comprehend the world around us. The gap between what we do and what we do not know, shapes the beauty and excitements of life.’ (Lu Chao)