Artists deal with history, heritage, language

THE exhibition “Deeper Strata of Meaning” at Art+ Shanghai Gallery showcases the latest works of three artists Chen Linggang, Hu Weiqi, and Wang Haichuan.

Rich and complicated in texture, their works find common ground in the profundity of expressed thoughts. Paper, acrylic, oil, egg shells, old photographs and other miscellaneous objects are used to present visual allegories.

Chen Linggang, 41, is a Beijing-based artist. Although he never formally studied painting, he began painting during his spare time while working at contemporary art magazines after college.

In 2008, he came up with the artistic form that has become his trademark — grid-like collages of knotted and compressed paper.

Hu Weiqi, 32, now lives and works in Guangzhou. Using two bold colors to symbolize the inner conflicts experienced by the younger generation, Hu depicts the state of a generation puzzled by the constant changes in their environment.

Wang Haichuan was born in 1968 and currently lives and works in Chongqing. He has worked in the field of architecture and landscape design for several years and is widely recognized as a visual artist boasting an accomplished oeuvre of engrossing and complex works in various media ranging from painting, installation, video, photography and on-site art projects.

Whether it is Chen’s grid-like collages of compressed and knotted paper, Hu’s intricate drawings on eggshells crashed against his canvas, or Wang’s surreal renderings on old black-and-white photographs and wooden doors, their work plays with our perception of history and knowledge, shared heritage and language while adding a tactile dimension to the intangible concepts.

Date: February 24 (closed on Mondays), 10am-7pm

Venue: Art+ Shanghai Gallery

Address: 191 Nansuzhou Rd