Green dogs, scarlet-colored mountains and purple bodies the use of strange
colors is typical of artist Zhou Chunya.
More than 30 of his creations, including oil paintings and sculptures, are
currently on show at the Today Art Museum. Entitled Blooming Stories, the
exhibition is infused with feelings of spring, with images of peach blossom
alongside brightly colored creatures.
An optimistic mood and images of happiness permeate every corner of the
frame.
"My creation process is improvised and random," said Zhou, "My intention is
to present a dynamic and sensitive mood instead of a static and stylized image.
The creation process is full of happiness and curiosity because I'm not
following a formula. The only thing I need to pay attention to is my
imagination."
Vivid tones flow along lines of traditional composition. The quality of the
oil pigment stresses the rich detail and the texture of the brush-strokes. The
tender and elegant traditional ink scheme is replaced by a complicated and
interlocked oil structure. The sense of volume presents a feeling of
unconstrained mystery.
Born in 1955 in Chongqing, Zhou graduated from the Sichuan Fine Arts
Institute in 1982 and continued his studies abroad in Germany where he spent the
following three years.
Combining styles from both the East and the West, Zhou gets his inspiration
from the composition of Chinese traditional ink paintings and Western
Impressionism and Expressionism.
Under his brush the mild and introverted elements of traditional domestic
culture are preserved, while delicate and inert characters are abandoned. At the
same time, the emphasis on color and the momentum of brush lines, which belong
to the domain of Western painting, are highlighted.
Surrounded by paintings, the sculptures, called Green Dogs, are like an
extension of Zhou's brush. The clash of bright colors and shapes results in a
sculpture of explosive vividness.
9am-4pm, until Mar 23.
Address:Today Art Museum, Jindian Garden, 9
Wenhuiyuan Beilu, Haidian District.
Tel: 010-5862-1100 Ext 142.
