| Feng
Feng, ant internationally recognized artist, is a poet
and a romantic who uses his brush to articulate personal
struggles and comment on the state of affairs in modern
society. His paintings skillfully blend Chinese historical
reference with modern abstract painting and create a
strong link between the past, present and future. He
uses traditional Chinese concepts and media in conjunction
with his won sense and understanding of the modern world
to create his work. An avid collector of ancient Chinese
woodblock plates and coins, Feng Feng's modern abstract
paintings also maintain a strong traditional Chinese
aesthetic.
Born
in 1956 to a prominent family, Feng Feng joined the
army during the Cultural Revolution to avoid persecution
for being an artist. He spent the first half of his
life studying science and architecture in an effort
to please his family, and accumulated a vast amount
of knowledge, which would later play an important role
in his painting. In 1984, he graduated from Tianjin
University with a degree in architecture and went on
to work as a journalist for several years. However,
he never abandoned painting, which has always been his
passion and primary means of expression.
Upon
first glance, his work might seem simple, but after
spending time with the artist and learning about his
unique process of combining acrylic paint with "secret
ingredients" (which the artist refuses to reveal),
it becomes clear that there are many layers to Feng
Feng's work. Achieving the right shade of red, green,
or yellow, is no simple task – it can take more
than 100 combinations of different colors to create
the perfect hue. His work also has a three dimensional
quality, which he achieves through his unique process
of rubbing and pressing ancient Chinese woodblock plates
and coins against the back of his canvas, and hen heating
it until he achieves the perfect texture. His paintings
tell stories and reflect his interest in Chinese history,
poetry, and art.
In
previous work, Feng Feng has often explored themes of
love and eroticism, loneliness and isolation –
allowing viewers to peer into his private thoughts and
world. He is known for his use of bold and vibrant colors.
In this new body of work, Feng Fen uses woodblock plates
(which he has been collecting for years) from the novel
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms – one of the
most popular historical novels in China. The story is
about the epic battles between the Three
Kingdoms for the control of China. Written 600 years
ago, the novel chronicles the period of disunity and
civil war. It began with the Three Kingdoms. These Kingdoms
grew out of the three chief economic areas of the Han
Dynasty. The leaders of the kingdoms strove to reunite
the empire and were therefore at constant warfare. These
Three Kingdoms were the Wei, in northern China, the
Shu to the west, and the Wu in the east.
Although
this epic takes place in China and records Chinese history,
war and brutality are themes that can be found throughout
history and around the world today. Death, suffering,
destruction, and the desire for power are universal
concepts that surpassed geographic borders and race.
For this exhibition, Feng Feng continues to use the
traditional Chinese red door as a motif, but his color
palette also includes darker shades of green and yellow.
He continues to use his "rubbing technique"
and boldly places battle scenes of murder and rape from
the Romance of the Three Kingdoms onto each canvas.
Visitors are encouraged to peer into the past and connect
it with the present. Feng Feng sees a strong connection
between this tale and the brutality in the world today.
Feng Fen lives and works in Beijing as a professional
painter. However, he sees himself more as a poet who
uses his brush to retell and reinterpret the past in
an attempt to better understand the present and the
future.
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