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August 28, 2015

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Artist uses classic form to depict modern concerns

BRINGING something new to Chinese ink-wash painting while still honoring the conventions of the genre would be a daunting challenge for any artist.

Among the few who have succeeded in this feat is He Xi, whose new solo exhibition, entitled “Labyrinth,” kicks off on September 8 at the Museum of China Art Academy in Hangzhou.

Born in 1960 in Beijing, He is one of the top artists at the Shanghai Academy of Painting. Over the years, he has established himself as a leading figure in the contemporary art world with his cold, unsentimental take on traditional Chinese ink-wash painting.

With clever references to modernity, He conjures up a world that is familiar, yet perplexing and expressionless. There are no chirping insects or brilliant flowers on He’s canvases. Many of his works feature traditional animal subjects in glass vases and man-made containers, removed from their environment. In other images, natural motifs and subject matter are transported into an indifferent urban landscape.

But amidst his jarring reinterpretation of an ancient art form, He also demonstrates his masterly grasp of classical ink-wash techniques.

“I try to convey my concerns about today’s real world through these symbols,” He says. “If these symbols — such as rocks, trees, birds — are still laden with outdated impressions and emotions, then they cannot enter the heart of modern viewers. For me, it would become a meaningless art piece, now matter how superb the technique is.”

“He Xi has established his own art style,” says art critic Gong Yunbiao. “His paintings are filled with conflict and struggle, rendered with dramatic effect.”

Question and Answer:

Q: Do you still remember your first sale as an artist?

A: At the time I was a sophomore and an actress came to our class while shooting a film. I taught her how to paint for a week, and then the shooting crew asked me to create two paintings for use in their movie. They paid 25 yuan (US$3.8). At that time, my monthly living expenses were 18 yuan.

 

Q: I understand that your rise to fame took quite a long time. Was being unknown a source of suffering for you?

A: It was always painting that brought me real joy. When I was a little kid, I spent all my allowance on paint supplies. In the early 1990s, there was no art market and no one cared about selling paintings. I was often intoxicated when I finished a quality work and enjoyed being flattered by my friends. Frankly speaking, I didn’t feel any pain ... For a long time maybe I was not that famous, but I enjoyed the solitude. Now the art market is booming, but I’d still prefer to hear “his paintings are really good” rather than “his paintings sell so well.”

 

Q: But how can an artist retain a pure outlook on their art while also remaining unaffected by the market?

A: I don’t feel the market because I don’t follow it. I just walk at my own pace. When I find inspiration, I pick up my brush. I never paint in quantities, because I am not on an assembly line. I know what the market prefers — abundance and beauty. Yet what I paint is cleaner and simpler. Surely I know there are some artists being controlled by the market. They could churn out several paintings every day, since the buyers are waiting. But in my eyes, if I don’t take my painting seriously, it is akin to not dressing properly to go outside.

 

Q: In the eyes of many, ink-wash painting is a traditional art form that can’t express the inner-lives and emotions of city dwellers. But you manage to depict the psychological concerns of urban people. How do you accomplish this?

A: I don’t purposely ... create something merely for the sake of creating something new. I just use the techniques I’ve learned to reflect what I feel and how I experience my surroundings. I’ve abandoned the stereotyped tableaux of bird-and-flower painting. I’m more comfortable and free in a visual world that I conjure up.

 

Q: Some of your paintings depict fish tragically swimming in glass containers. What kind of message are you trying to convey?

A: As an artist, it is better to let the works speak. The more I explain, the less you would experience from my paintings. It is not important whether what you feel is the same as me in my paintings.

 

Q: What’s your ideal state-of-being as an artist?

A: I need a lot of time to quietly paint. Everything else is left for my gallery. Several years ago, I spent the night at a Buddhist temple in Korea. In the three-square-meter space, there was no bed, no table. But I felt a thrilling power in the simplicity of my surroundings. In such an environment, you have no desire, just freedom. ... I prefer a simple lifestyle with few material desires. I enjoy reading, photography and having tea with good friends.




 

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