A fleeting moment. A passing glance. A quick connection – or maybe not. New works by Chinese artists Wang Xiaoluo and Yang Shewei invite us to witness and participate in the everyday, through everyday people. Their men and women at work and rest are particularly poignant emanating from a culture in which everyone is rushing ahead, and in which the individual is often overlooked. Here is an invitation to pause for a moment, and look closer.

Yang’s security guards have a strong presence. Almost lifesize, they engage the viewer directly or imagine themselves unobserved. They are executed in fine detail by a mixture of ink washes and more precise strokes. In contrast, Wang’s women are observed in almost dreamlike sketches, using ink washes interspersed with sparse, thicker brush strokes. They stretch, doze or daydream, completely at ease with themselves and a world which may or may not be watching.

The spontaneity of the observed figures is enhanced by the medium of ink on paper. This ancient and highly treasured Chinese art form is rooted in calligraphy and comes to life in light, immediate and highly individualistic brush strokes. Additional references to classic Chinese arts appear in both artists’ works. Yang Shewei’s policemen stand out from a hanging scroll backdrop, while Wang Xiaoluo signs and personalizes her work using traditional seals.

It is this juxtaposition of ink on paper, a medium with over one thousand years of history, with subjects that are unashamedly of our world, of the here and now, that makes these works and this show truly unique. We invite you to share ‘Brief Encounters’ at Karin Weber Gallery.

About the Artists:

Yang Shewei – born in 1971 and a graduate of Xu Beihong College, Renmin University, China, currently resident in Beijing. His works are held in a number of private and public collections in China, Hong Kong and overseas. Museum collections include the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Guan Shanyue Museum and Lingnan Museum of Fine Art, all in China. This is Yang’s fourth exhibition at Karin Weber Gallery.

Wang Xiaoluo – another graduate of Xu Beihong College, Wang (born 1981), currently lives and works in Beijing. Her work has been exhibited in numerous Chinese ink and painting shows including the third Chengdu Biennale in 2007 and is held in the China Literature and Arts Foundation (China Arts Museum) in Beijing. We are proud to present Wang’s work for the second time.

-Karin Weber Gallery

Image: © Wang Xiaoluo
Courtesy of the artist and Karin Weber Gallery