Soul Aesthetic is Yang Xu's second solo exhibition at Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur.

From coins, figures, landscapes, and small things in his earlier works, to the ballet series that he is currently painting, Yang Xu’s subject matters have always seem to be unrelated and scattered. His painting technique is influenced by classical and ancient styles (mainly the skill of tempera painting). In the language of painting, beneath the reality, standards, and rules on the canvas, Xu aims to express arrogance, eccentricity, and absurdity.

In comparison to the rigid rule of perspectives, his works appear to be disorderly and turbulent. This also applies to the color tones and compositions of these realistic classical paintings. Xu states that when discussing about contemporary art, occasionally it is defined as art created by a person who lives in the current times. In actuality, contemporary art is an art form, which connects the works with the current reality and it doesn’t matter if it’s confrontational, critical, ironic, humorous or an appreciation for art.

Living in a society that is classified by countries, one of the crucial methods of protecting the governors’ rights is to make the ruled feel that there is a sense of existing standards and “rhythms.” When the surface appears to be “perfect,” or “gorgeous,” he states that not only do people forget about the fundamental problems such as ones’ survival rights, but also be numbed enough to a point of not even considering it as an issue. He asserts that this is a form of brainwashing or hypnotizing.

Xu further elaborates that the above phenomenon is very evident in China now. On Chinese television, there is a news programme every night at 7pm, called << News Broadcast>>. He presumes that more than 80% of the locals watch the programme and 90% of the channels will show it. In the first 20 minutes of the news show, he says that China is depicted to be perfect and prosperous. In the next 10 minutes, conflicts, issues, and problems from other countries are shown such as: wars, hunger, racial discriminations and natural disasters thus terrifying the audience. Over time, the desire to live in a society illustrated in << News Broadcast>> is generated. After many years of hypnotization, he concludes that people gradually lose their capabilities to judge and criticize.

When people see his works, he says that they usually criticize or are confused with his painting skills, considering that emphasizing the rules and composition of the paintings are his main focus; thus, they ignore his intention for disorder, trickery and absurdity concealed underneath the perfection and gloriousness of the surface.

Repetitions and complications, often seen in his works, express his respect and reverence towards the tradition of painting. He declares that no matter how profound and brilliant a concept is, as far as it presents itself through painting, it needs to be sincere and sturdy. Painting, not so much “contemporary,” is just as a process of a dedicated craftsman laboring on his work. Pretentiously speaking: it’s similar to meditation.

In his conversation with Ai Wei Wei, the artist discussed issues on painting, his relationship with his mentor and painter Chen Danqing, politics and corruption in China and Pop Art among others. Xu and Ai Wei Wei have met on more than one occasion and the conversation featured in this show serves as a medium to exchange views on artistic practice and life.

The exhibition will feature oil paintings, tondos and multi-paneled works.

-Richard Koh Fine Art

Image: © Yang Xu
Courtesy of the artist and Richard Koh Fine Art