QIU Jie

Arario Gallery Cheonan will exhibit Chinese artist, QiuJie, who is active in Geneva Switzerland, from June 7th to July 2nd, 2008. His artwork stands for patience and the state of truth, and sometimes he spends a whole year to complete one piece. His work, combined with pieces of detailed pencil drawings, is a place generating energy throughout the coexistence and mixture of Chinese and Western culture, socialism and capitalism, and old and contemporary one what he has experienced. By overlapping images of various sizes, it allows visual movement, and throughout the way of multi-visual point, the audience can participate in his mysterious and unique artwork. This QiuJie’s exhibition in Arario Gallery will show 8 pieces of large paintings.

QiuJie was born in Shanghai China 1961 and grew up under his grandfather’s care. When he was 17 years old, he entered a faculty of fine arts in Technical School of Light Industries of Shanghai. After graduating school, he worked as a decorator for 6 years. Then, he moved to Switzerland in 1989 and studied at fine arts school in Geneva. He is active in Switzerland up to now. After leaving home land, while experiencing unacquainted culture in Switzerland, QiuJie had to endure a wide gap between Chinese and Western culture, language barrier, financial hardship and loneliness. However, this special situation became the motive of QiuJie’s artwork. His endless attachment and inevitable interest toward not only different characteristic of Western culture but also his own native characteristic, he shared special Chinese political circumstance like other contemporary Chinese artists. By leading his agony on characteristic of Chinese Art and Western Art accepted throughout life of Switzerland to positive energy, he created his own unique art world.

QiuJie overlaps images of different era such as English, French words, the ancient architecture, and characters of western films on canvas with overwhelmed density. For example, by using an academic and solid technique, a form written in catchphrase and a wallposter, a production of Chinese realism culture, Cotton Field produced in 1993 talks about his special position in Western and Chinese culture, time merging past and present, and hybrid of our society. In addition, by overlapping images of different size, it allows movement into canvas not because of the laws of prospective, and it enables the audience to experience various visual approaches. This various visual approach is led by unexpected form and introduces another paradigm to audience.

QiuJie’s large drawing (310 x 336cm), sometimes takes a whole year to complete, is consist of each small piece. It is amazing to see how he assembles one hundred images drawn in detail with pencil to a puzzle. With the firm belief, sincerity, and patience, he manages to read and accept minute details what people often miss. His work, making one feel the sprit of artisan, is an outcome of maturity, patience, pleasure of work, and self confidence and receives a compliment called ‘the state of Zen.’

QiuJie’s work is steadily introduced by art museums, galleries, and Biennale in Switzerland, France, China and various countries and this Arario Cheonan exhibition is his 14th solo exhibition. His work is possessed by well-known art museum and foundation, and has receiving affection and compliments from many collectors. I advise you to participate in the mysterious and unique world what he creates in special cultural circumstance.