Dai Mouyu’s works on paper consist of two parts: Photography and Drawing. Photography has a long relationship with painting since it was invented in the 19th century. While there is similarity between western painting and photography, such as the recording of events, pictorial elements, use of perspective and the pursuit of reality; In the East, painting and photography are distinct as eastern painting usually sets out to capture one’s spiritual world, yet the principle of photography is its materialism. In contrast Dai Mouyu produces sensitive and abstract works with both drawing and photography, the artworks containing the same substance although differing in form.

Mouyu says that only by combining these two art forms can he be in balance. His photography tends to be more sensitive, while his drawing has a surface sensitivity that belies an underlying strong rationality. At first glance at Mouyu’s drawings, one may feel his strong emotion and sensitivity, after a while, one can start to be immersed within his work and see the different world, either from a micro or macro perspective, and start to wonder the truth within the universe. “Hormone”, derived from a Greek word “impetus”, meaning “rouse” or “excite”, Mouyu ‘s drawings are kind of similar to this scientific activity of cells and variations in molecular structure, capturing the moments that impetus hidden inside of the stillness, and any second to be explode.

The artist studies the relationship between movement and stillness, invisible inside and visible surface, peace and danger to discover the universal truth. The spectator can imagine how much the sense of order, the ability of analysis, rigorous, patient and penetrating the artist needs to complete these artworks. This almost obsessive compulsive attention to detail can drive the artist mad thus drawing him to the use of the modern device of photography for the visible side of his artwork to keep himself balanced. However it is hard to mark the difference between his drawing and photography works in terms of the art works’ content.

Dai Mouyu was born in Guangdong province in 1975 and now lives and works in Shanghai. His photography work has been exhibited in several major exhibitions: Lianzhou International Photography Festival, Guangzhou Photography Biannual, Taipei MoCA, Shanghai Duolun Art Museum, Shanghai Art Museum etc. FQ Projects is delighted to show his photography work and his new drawings.