Qian Jiahua at ASIA NOW

HdM Gallery showed this painting by Qian Jiahua for ASIA NOW online, presented on Ocula, from 21 October to 7 November 2020.

Qian Jiahua is a young Chinese artist based in Shanghai and known for her geometric abstract paintings in acrylic. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at K11 Museum and the Long Museum in Shanghai.

Using thin lines of paint to dissect planes of colour applied in varying textures, Qian Jiahua’s compositions are activated through these contrasting edges that form an illusion of layer and depth.

In Fountain, a thin line casts an elegant shadow, transforming the blue beneath into an airy natural tone, which is offset by a deep blue opposite. This rich blue is dramatically interrupted by a stroke of white—subtly appropriated from Hockney’s famous splash paintings—and alluding to the fountain’s spurting water; Qian Jiahua teases out these natural sensations and memories from within us.

Main image: Qian Jiahua, Fountain (2019). Acrylic on canvas. 55 x 50 cm. © Qian Jiahua. Courtesy HdM Gallery.