Nan Qi

Nan Qi is famed for his three-dimensional images comprised of his eponymous ‘Nan Qi dots’ and interpretations of Chinese cultural icons, including female soldiers, the five-pointed red star, and multi-national bills. Nan Qi’s emoji works feature big thumbs, smileys, and roses that are part of our everyday lives. These works resemble Pop art at first glimpse but as you look more carefully the work begins to change from 2D to 3D. As in the artist’s own words, ‘Stare closely at the centre of the painting for two minutes. Relax yourself, clear your mind and then slowly move backward, you will experience the 3D effect of the painting.’ He is currently developing a new series of Chinese landscape paintings. Deriving inspiration from ancient masters including Guo Xi from the Song Dynasty and Huang Gongwang from the Yuan Dynasty, Nan Qi has contemporised the historical landscapes with the use of his 3-D dots, resulting in a monochrome, hazy vista that is at once both challenging and edgy.