Conceal • Unveil is the second solo exhibition of Hu Xiangcheng at Shanghai Gallery of Art since three years ago. The title originates from his probe into the truth. He always shows a great interest into the invisible forces hidden behind material and being from our image-besotted culture. Energy that is at a somewhat critical state is what he wants to represent the most. In his early career, he spent some time working on realism and abstraction. But he soon shifted his attention to the investigation of the origin of plastic arts. By taking nature as a subject of dialogue, he has long been engaged in the experiments with how art intrudes and has stood the test of time. The creation of an “image” of nature is what he intends to pursue through his practice. “Images” made from simple materials comprise a serious of codes that showed sophisticated awareness of contemporary and primitive traditions and styles, communicated some kind of experimentation of an insider knowledge and that can hardly be easily interpreted.
Nearly 50 works are presented, featuring mainly mixed-media paintings on paper and canvas. In comparison to Hu’s long artistic career, these works are only a tip of an iceberg. There are older works that showcase the artist’s delights in making collages with chunky crusts of natural materials and soaked accidental stains. The illusionistic space, together with a total lack of visual association between the overall formal elements of the collages (the dispersed surface, heavy substance and hardly any substance, the spatters and drips), Hu keeps them in play. The feeling: loose and congested at the same time. It looks like fast, simple, enjoyable creations, but not something you could easily dismiss. A new series on paper consistently finds the figurative in the human and non-human and the transformative abstract. The semi-abstract, semi-figurative characters are purely products of his imagination, fragmented from his own memories and research, and depicted with strong outlines in an expanse of undulating details stemmed from a lively aggressiveness.
Hu’s studio will also be re-created within the gallery space. Decorated by personal objects and possessions, this is the place where viewers can have a chance to communicate with the artist as he will routinely create more works during the exhibition period. More than ever, these entries exemplify Hu’s willingness to push an experiment; and the ability to be earnest, in relation to a practical idea of painting – to understand that experiments should be made and seen through over a long period of process.
After graduating from Shanghai Theatre Academy, Hu Xiangcheng spent time living in Tibet, Japan and Africa. Currently, he mainly lives and works in Shanghai. His painting and installation works have been exhibited at various international exhibitions, including Shanghai Biennale; International Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations in Venice, Italy; Yokohama Triennial in Japan and São Paulo Architecture Biennale in Brazil. Hu’s practice also extends to the preservation of traditional culture and customs. For over a decade, he’s been working in suburb districts around Shanghai (i.e. Jinze Town and Zhujiajiao Town), committed to the preservation and re-creation of an ideal land in his mind. Based on extensive social survey, the project consists of a serious of reconstruction/revival cases that are closely related to our social life. Covering a variety of realms including paving old-style commercial bazaar layout, architectural restoration/re-creation, historical arts and crafts, traditional Chinese festivals, space, utensils and rituals, the project endeavors to make the elegance and beauty of Chinese traditional culture and customs approachable to all walks of life. Through his efforts and action, Hu Xiangcheng makes a clear stance that a contemporary artist should not only address social issues but also actively look for solutions through personal engagement.
*image (left)
courtesy of the artist and Shanghai Gallery of Art
