FEAST Projects will be participating at Art Basel Hong Kong 2013, featuring artist: T'ang Haywen (1927 - 1991). He is a modern Chinese painter who settled in Paris after World War ll. On view will be a selection of significant works showing, chronologically and thematically, his exploration of landscapes, symbols, figures, and calligraphy dated from the 1960's to 80's. Also on view will be the experimental short film: T'ang Boogie produced in 1973. 

T’ang Haywen was born in 1927 in Xiamen (Amoy), Fujian Province, China. His early intellectual development was deeply influenced by his grandfather, who introduced him to Chinese calligraphy and the principle of Daoism, which strongly shaped T’ang’s outlook and his art. T’ang arrived in France in 1948, and started to pursue his ambition to be a painter. He also became an avid traveler, exhibiting in various cities his interpretations of landscapes of Europe and America.

T’ang showed a preference for gouache or ink on paper, mixing the traditional Chinese elements of the abstract wash with the more lyrical, luminous style of the West. He created an original painting space, developing from a small format then two juxtaposed sheets forming a diptych – a highly recognizable characteristic of his work. This juxtaposition of two sheets of paper forming one painting space is vast enough for the painter to enclose the world. His life and work together are a tale about the lightness of being, emphasizing the subtlety and intelligence of his visions. Although T'ang's work did not really achieve recognition during his lifetime – due to his lack of interest in material success – his work is included in important private and Museum collections. After his death his art reached a wider public through important retrospective exhibitions, at the Museé Océanographique de Monaco, Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Musée Guimet.

Image: © T'ang Haywen, FEAST Projects