CHEN Qiang: Not Only from the Idea
Past exhibition
Press release
ARARIO GALLERY SHANGHAI is honored to present the solo exhibition of Chen Qiang, Not Only from the Idea, on March 24, 2018. As one of the most important representative artists in Shanghai Abstract Art, Chen Qiang’s art creation spans across over thirty years and achieved a creative breakthrough at the present stage. As a mature artist who has a rich creating experience, Chen Qiang holds different possibilities in a balanced way. Through the comprehensive showcasing in ARARIO GALLERY SHANGHAI, the exhibition unfolds a space for viewers to perceive and appreciate the uniqueness of Chen Qiang’s art.
The Uniqueness of Chen Qiang’s Art
Throughout Chen Qiang’s art creation, he has always emphasized the necessity for “perception”. Without any hints in the work title, Chen rarely provides certain supportive words for the work explanation. Instead, the artist always attempts to “encourage viewers to forget all the preconceptions, to start the art appreciation from their own perception and eventually to expand their mind and experience”.
Stemming from and highly influenced by the western art, how to evaluate the uniqueness of Chinese Abstract Art has been discussed over a long period. In spite of the origination of Western, today’s Chinese abstract art already developed with its own distinctive characters. As an outstanding representative, Chen Qiang’s art can be regarded as one identified example. In Chen Qiang’s work, Western and Eastern materials meet and offset each other’s characteristic, without any verbal response from the artist, a renewed perception is possible to happen in a natural way. One can extract a lot of message from Chen’s creation process: Starting from a grid of dots on a rice paper, the artist fills in ink circles over each dot. After fixing the paper sheet onto a canvas, ink circles finally are covered by oil paint. By drawing or scribbling through the still damp paint circles, color blocks are stirred and blended with each other in the last stage. Beginning from a precise organization of the composition, Chen Qiang renders his perception in his creation and ultimately ends the process via a more emotional action.
The Embodiments of Self-consciousness
Aiming to capture the development and the inner philosophy of Chen Qiang’s art at the present stage, the exhibition shows a delicate selection of the artist’s different period works. Not only focusing on the latest trends in Chen Qiang’s creation, the exhibition would also bring together a group of representative paintings and drawings spanning the artist’s career – from 1990s to 2010s, embodying the history, evolutions and connotations in Chen’s art in a more in-depth way. Through the exhibition, The evolution of Chen Qiangs’ work appears: the integration of Western and Eastern, the multiple uses of materials, and the overlapping of sensibility and rationality have made Chen’s art enters into a quite sophisticated stage, which also provides a full expression of the self-consciousness of Chen Qiang.
About the Artist
Chen Qiang was born in 1960 in Hunan province, China, currently lives and works in Shanghai. He graduated from the Fine Arts Department, East China Normal University in Shanghai in 1989. Chen Qiang’s works have been shown in both China and abroad. His recent solo exhibitions includes AFTERGLOW - OPERE ASTRATTE DI CHEN QIANG, Pasquee, Massagno, Switzerland, 2017; Chen Qiang, Galerie Frank Schlag & Cie Gallery, Essen, Germany, 2013; The Visual Will — Chen Qiang, Sanjyo Gion Gallary, Kyoto Japan, 2013; He also participated in important group exhibitions including CHINA TODAY, Edsvik Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden, 2017; Calligraphic Time and Space: Abstract Art in China, Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China, 2015; ABSTRACT PAINTING FROM CHINA, Hurrle Museum for Contemporary Art, Durbach, Germany, 2014. Furthermore, Chen Qiang will have his solo exhibition in Korea soon. Chen’s works have been collected by The National Art Museum of China, Shanghai Art Museum, Yuz Museum, HOW Art Museum, Foundation Insel Hombroich and China Brands Group, etc.
The Uniqueness of Chen Qiang’s Art
Throughout Chen Qiang’s art creation, he has always emphasized the necessity for “perception”. Without any hints in the work title, Chen rarely provides certain supportive words for the work explanation. Instead, the artist always attempts to “encourage viewers to forget all the preconceptions, to start the art appreciation from their own perception and eventually to expand their mind and experience”.
Stemming from and highly influenced by the western art, how to evaluate the uniqueness of Chinese Abstract Art has been discussed over a long period. In spite of the origination of Western, today’s Chinese abstract art already developed with its own distinctive characters. As an outstanding representative, Chen Qiang’s art can be regarded as one identified example. In Chen Qiang’s work, Western and Eastern materials meet and offset each other’s characteristic, without any verbal response from the artist, a renewed perception is possible to happen in a natural way. One can extract a lot of message from Chen’s creation process: Starting from a grid of dots on a rice paper, the artist fills in ink circles over each dot. After fixing the paper sheet onto a canvas, ink circles finally are covered by oil paint. By drawing or scribbling through the still damp paint circles, color blocks are stirred and blended with each other in the last stage. Beginning from a precise organization of the composition, Chen Qiang renders his perception in his creation and ultimately ends the process via a more emotional action.
The Embodiments of Self-consciousness
Aiming to capture the development and the inner philosophy of Chen Qiang’s art at the present stage, the exhibition shows a delicate selection of the artist’s different period works. Not only focusing on the latest trends in Chen Qiang’s creation, the exhibition would also bring together a group of representative paintings and drawings spanning the artist’s career – from 1990s to 2010s, embodying the history, evolutions and connotations in Chen’s art in a more in-depth way. Through the exhibition, The evolution of Chen Qiangs’ work appears: the integration of Western and Eastern, the multiple uses of materials, and the overlapping of sensibility and rationality have made Chen’s art enters into a quite sophisticated stage, which also provides a full expression of the self-consciousness of Chen Qiang.
About the Artist
Chen Qiang was born in 1960 in Hunan province, China, currently lives and works in Shanghai. He graduated from the Fine Arts Department, East China Normal University in Shanghai in 1989. Chen Qiang’s works have been shown in both China and abroad. His recent solo exhibitions includes AFTERGLOW - OPERE ASTRATTE DI CHEN QIANG, Pasquee, Massagno, Switzerland, 2017; Chen Qiang, Galerie Frank Schlag & Cie Gallery, Essen, Germany, 2013; The Visual Will — Chen Qiang, Sanjyo Gion Gallary, Kyoto Japan, 2013; He also participated in important group exhibitions including CHINA TODAY, Edsvik Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden, 2017; Calligraphic Time and Space: Abstract Art in China, Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China, 2015; ABSTRACT PAINTING FROM CHINA, Hurrle Museum for Contemporary Art, Durbach, Germany, 2014. Furthermore, Chen Qiang will have his solo exhibition in Korea soon. Chen’s works have been collected by The National Art Museum of China, Shanghai Art Museum, Yuz Museum, HOW Art Museum, Foundation Insel Hombroich and China Brands Group, etc.
Installation Views
