Pearl Lam Galleries to present
renowned Chinese artists Su Xiaobai and Zhu Jinshi at
ART13 LONDON 1–3 March
STAND A3 and E7, Olympia Grand Hall, Olympia Way,
Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX
Highlights include BOAT, a monumental 12-metre installation by
Zhu Jinshi created from 8,000 sheets of rice paper
'…entirely distinctive—and completely compelling.'
—Paul Moorhouse, Senior Curator at the National Portrait Gallery,
London, and former Tate curator
Exhibition Dates
1–3 March, 2013
Collector’s Preview (invitation only): Thursday, 28 February, 2013, 4–6pm
First Night: Thursday, 28 February, 2013, 6–9pm
General Hours: Friday, 1 March–Saturday, 2 March, 11am–6pm; 3 March, 11am–5pm
HONG KONG—Pearl Lam Galleries’ stand at the inaugural Art13 London at Olympia Grand
Hall from 1–3 March, 2013 brings to the UK for the first time an exhibition of the work of two
major Chinese abstract artists: Zhu Jinshi, who participated in The Stars’ first ever show of
contemporary art in China in 1979, worked in Germany in the late 1980s alongside artists such
as Joseph Beuys, and debated Abstract Expressionism with Robert Rauschenberg; and Su
Xiaobai, a student of Gerhard Richter. The work of both artists attempts to reconcile two
traditions and illustrate that Chinese abstract has been a major undiscovered force in
contemporary art.
Su Xiaobai’s seminal training under Gerhard Richter in the late 1980s, following studies in
classical oil painting in Beijing, led to his examination of the very structure, language and
process of painting. From this, he developed an extraordinary visual language incorporating
layers of lacquer, a traditional Chinese medium, on linen, wood and clay, creating paintings
with sensuous depth that are modernist in form and traditional in medium. Whilst often
interpreted in light of German abstraction, the works speak of the Chinese philosophies of
meditative practice, human ideals and achieving harmony with nature. Pearl Lam Galleries
will be presenting a selection of Su’s works at Art13 including Kuanhou—Spring (2012) and
Eternal Green No. 3 (2010).
Zhu Jinshi began creating abstract works in the late 1970s. In order to exhibit in an “official”
capacity, he joined the Stars (Xingxing), a group of Chinese artists that included Ai Weiwei and
Ma Desheng, and participated in the seminal Beijing exhibition in 1979. His near sculptural
abstract paintings are composed of layers of thick impasto oil colours applied with a
shovel and spatula, which slide off the canvas. Working in Berlin in the 1980s, Zhu was
exposed to German Expressionism, while the speed and spontaneity of the brushwork is
influenced by xie yi ink-and-brush paintings. In 1985, Zhu recalls having a heated debate
with Robert Rauschenberg, who was exhibiting a retrospective of his work at the National Art
Museum in Beijing, as Zhu attempted to explain that the theoretical bases of Abstract
Expressionism, such as gesture and the expressive nature of the brush, were not new and
actually had been part of Chinese aesthetic theory for centuries. Zhu’s paintings are currently
on show in Alone Together at the prestigious Rubell Family Collection in Miami through
August, and are represented in many private and public collections worldwide. The works
being presented at Art13 include Spring Offerings No. 2 (2012), Sun at Feijia Village (2012) and
the triptych Door to the Form of the Matter (2012).
From the 1990s, Zhu Jinshi started producing large installation works made with xuan paper.
One of the highlights presented at Art13 will be Boat, a monumental 12-metre
installation composed of bamboo, cotton and 8,000 sheets of xuan (rice) paper.
Abstract art expert Paul Moorhouse, former curator at Tate Britain and now Senior Curator at
the National Portrait Gallery, London, who visited the artists’ studios last year said: “Zhu Jinshi
and Su Xiaobai are radically different artists, yet each exemplifies the essence of contemporary
Chinese abstract painting. Working spontaneously, Zhu creates impossibly dense, sensuous
fields of colour. Su develops his paintings patiently, slowly refining their exquisite, veneered
surfaces. This profound feeling for evocative materials, and their shared emphasis on creating
an abstract physical reality, is entirely distinctive—and completely compelling.”
Pearl Lam said: “Zhu Jinshi and Su Xiaobai are Chinese artists who deconstruct Western
theory of art and visual language by rooting them to Chinese traditions and philosophy. They
create their own individualistic expression, which represents the spirit of Pearl Lam Galleries.
This year, both artists have important solo shows at Pearl Lam Galleries and I am proud to
bring this selection of works for their London debut. Zhu Jinshi’s rice paper Boat, which is
instilled with cultural resonance and embodies the artist’s personal voyage, will be journeying
from Shanghai to London for the first time.”
About Zhu Jinshi
Zhu Jinshi was born in Beijing, China in 1954. After completing an artist-in-residency in
Germany and teaching in the Architecture Department of the Berlin Technical University, Zhu
returned to Beijing, where he currently lives and works. He began painting abstract works in
the late 1970s, and participated in the Stars (Xing Xing) group exhibition, the first avant-garde
art exhibition after the Cultural Revolution. Zhu has exhibited in numerous solo and group
exhibitions including Chinese Contemporary Abstract, 1980s until Present: MINDMAP (2012)
at Pearl Lam Galleries, Hong Kong; Power and Jiangshan (2008) at Arario Gallery, Beijing;
and On the Road (2002) at Prague City Museum, Czech Republic. Zhu’s work is represented in
many private and public collections across the globe, including Canada where his rice paper
installation The Tao of Xuan Paper (1997) is on permanent display at the Vancouver Art
Gallery. In May 2013, to coincide with the first edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong, Zhu will have
his first Hong Kong solo show at Pearl Lam Galleries.
About Su Xiaobai
Su Xiaobai was born in Hubei, China in 1949. He studied oil painting at the Central Academy of
Fine Arts in Beijing in 1984, receiving a scholarship to study at the Düsseldorf National Art
Academy in 1987. Su’s solo exhibitions include Su Xiaobai (2011) at Another Gallery in
Shanghai, Su Xiaobai Solo Exhibition (2010) at Raketenstation Hombroich in Germany and
The Dynasty of Colours (2009) at Lagen Art Gallery in Germany. He has also exhibited in
museums and galleries across Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Singapore, Berlin, Düsseldorf and
Moscow. Su’s first solo show in Hong Kong is currently being held at Pearl Lam Galleries, Hong
Kong until 6 March 2013.
About Pearl Lam Galleries
Founded by Pearl Lam, the Galleries' mission is to stimulate cross-cultural dialogue and
cultural exchange between the East and West by establishing distinct and rigorous
programming in each of its gallery spaces in Hong Kong, Shanghai and the forthcoming
Singapore gallery. Through this programming, the Galleries seeks to engage the local
community whilst bringing an international audience closer to home.
Pearl Lam Galleries is dedicated to championing Chinese artists who re-evaluate the
philosophy and perception of Chinese contemporary art, whilst also committed to presenting
major solo exhibitions by international artists including Jim Lambie, Jenny Holzer and Yinka
Shonibare, MBE.
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