Chinese scholars used to retreat to their studios to savour moments of solitude and contemplation, to reconnect with nature, and to pursue a range of highly sophisticated pastimes. Practising calligraphy, composing poetry, playing music and chess as well as appreciation of arts and antiques were all activities that reflected the highly developed tastes, education and social standing of this elite group also described as literati. Today, many Chinese artists are once again drawing inspiration from this high point in their traditional culture, and bringing their own interpretation to an ancient subject that has inspired many of their predecessors.

‘Lodge of Tranquility’ at Karin Weber Gallery explores elements of Chinese literati culture through the eyes of three artists. Classic scholar materials such as ink, stone, ceramics and bronze find contemporary interpretations in new combinations and dimensions. The gallery space will be transformed into a Chinese scholar’s studio, the ‘Lodge of Tranquility’, courtesy of Hong Kong designer Elroy Cheung.

Zhu Jingyi (China, b. 1975) reimagines classic shanshui landscapes in a three-dimensional format through the application of resin onto canvas and wire to create textured structures that enliven otherwise flat, ink painted works.  Based in Shanghai, Zhu has exhibited widely in China, including the Today Art Museum in Beijing and Himalayas Art Museum in Shanghai, and is currently working on a large commission for Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Material and subject, time and timelessness fuse in the works of Annie Wan Lai-Kuen (Hong Kong), as she creates a selection of different sized books, seemingly frozen in time, by encasing individual works in ceramic slip. Annie’s multi-volume dictionary project Lost in Biliterate and Trilingual is currently on show in Manchester, UK, as part of the exhibition ‘Harmonious Society’, Asia Triennial Manchester 2014. She holds numerous awards, including the Hong Kong Art Biennial in 2003, and is currently a lecturer in Ceramics at the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University. Her work is in the collections of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and a number of overseas institutions.

Yang Fei (China, b. 1974), also fuses two traditional scholar objects: rocks and bronzes. Rocks have always been treasured and prized by scholars.  In Yang Fei’s stone sculptures, scholar rocks are enhanced by additions of the smallest bronze figures, often human or animal, to reinforce the link between Man and Nature that is central to Daoist scholar philosophy. Currently resident in Shenzhen, Yang Fei is one of China’s leading abstract sculpture artists, with solo and group exhibitions across China.