From traditional elements to the contemporary
Renowned Chinese contemporary artist
Wu Yi reflects his inner inspiration mixed with daily realities through art during “Diary Of Inner Inspiration” at Tang Contemporary Art, until June 11.
For half-a-century, Wu has been one of the few artists who has successfully adapted traditional Chinese art into something more contemporary. He has passed through the imitation stage to achieve perfection in mediums that span oil and ink painting, and literary writing.
This exhibition showcases 21 recent works from his “Dunhuang” series, including oil paintings and watercolours depicting Dunhuang Cave 98 in China and stories of the Buddha’s previous incarnations. Also displayed are a dozen oil sketches made in Prague, Aschaffenburg and Beijing. In these works, he depicts the images that move him the most — street scenes in Beijing, Czech people in Prague, German urban architecture in Aschaffenburg, and religious images in Dunhuang.
As a painter who has woven travel into his life, feelings and work, Wu often creates paintings in small scale that can be more easily carried as he travels. He completely immerses himself in everyday life wherever he is. Clusters of small paintings offer diaristic glimpses of his nomadic spirit.
The atmosphere in his work is light yet intriguing and subtle without being ethereal. The paintings simply convey the beauty of the earth and the delights of human life.
The exhibition is like an intellectual journey that intermingles lived realities (nature) and Wu’s artistic talent (inner inspiration), with the Eastern sensibility reflected through his distinctive character in the paintings.
Tang Contemporary Art is located at Room 201-206 at River City Bangkok, Charoen Krung 24, and opens Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm.