A NATURAL STATE
March 11, 2005
Artist:
Location:
Gallery 456
Exhibition Statement

My art is my natural state. It's my attitude and thoughts about life. My work embodies my understanding of my living environment.

About Nature: Nature is the origin of human life. City life is actually far away from nature where people's worship of nature truly testifies to a growing spiritual deficit. Only when people confront a pond, a forest or clear fresh air do they realize that humankind is miniscule. Nature continually makes people introspective, and so becomes more valuable or spiritual life. Chinese traditional painting uses nature as an expression of one's emotional state. It is always said that the apex is nature ("Shangchu shi tianran"), that the best painting freely expresses one's inner and outer natural condition. The nature world is the zen of material and human unity. This is another level of understanding nature. When humanity reaches zen life swiftly becomes enlightened.

About Human Thought: I was a student during the period of China Economic's Reform and Opening Up. After leaving school I never did morning group exercise again. I also never wore an uniform again. Now they are a beautiful memory and source of encouragement for me. During Reform and Opening Up China was changing its form and style while simultaneously learning from Western Culture. Looking back to Shanghai in the 1903's, during China's early Modern period, we see a vibrant era. Shanghai's geographic location allowed it to become an economic and cultural focal point to this special place. Even though Shanghai's new face today stands tall again in China, the 1903's continually summons us to look back. At that time, where old and new were trading places the image of Chinese women was being transformed into a free, independent, and empowered being. Those old portraits and calendar models are still a point of comparison for today's modern Chinese women. These recreated images represent both my memory of old times as well as myself.

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