On June 28, 2014, hosted by Today Art Galleria﹒Today Gallery, “Passages Through Nature – The Art of Tang Chenghua” opened at Today Gallery in Beijing. The exhibition presents a total of 32 works themed on “l(fā)andscape of sketch” created by the artist since February, including 23 paintings of mixed media on paper, and 10 ceramic works. The exhibition will continue to July 24.
“Passages Through Nature” series is the latest creations by Tang Chenghua, describing the suburban natural scenery in the North before the arrival of spring. It is unique that Tang Chenghua used sheet zinc in which he directly carved lines and sketches, which is rarely seen in art creations. For the artist, sketching, as a means of painting, is far away from the expected screen. Then the artist recreates it in the studio, through engraving marks and use of accidental the germinal process of texture, and rendering through the use of mineral color, eventually creating rich and gorgeous images. The artist introduced a comparison with the past creation, this batch of works highlighted the use of “l(fā)ine”, taking “dot, line, face” as the basic elements, using color to balance the relationships in the painting.
It also features ceramic works with a new experience for the audience, Tang Chenghua said he had tried to take ceramic as a medium as early as during his study in Japan. During 2007 and 2008, he had produced a lot of related works in Dehua, Fujian province. He wanted to use ceramic creation to expand the mixed media to a broader boundary. Grasping and applying “ceramic” as an old traditional handicraft art. The artist wants to use the creation of ceramics to integrate a traditional spirit, and modern civilization, contemporary art thought. And the change of ceramic glaze color happened to have the same peculiarity with print - to look for a stable relationship in a contingency, and to search for a painting feeling in the uncertainty.
About Tang Chenghua
Born in Fujian Province in 1964, originally family home was Inner Mongolia. He graduated from the Department of Fine Arts, Fujian Normal University, majored in oil painting, in 1988, and graduated from Nagoya University of Arts, Japan, with a master’s degree in 1992. He graduated from the Postgraduate School, Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, majored in oil painting, Master of Fine Arts. From 1994 to 2002 he was appointed as a lecturer of Japan NHK Cultural Centre, from 1999 to 2000 he studied art in the City University of New York- Hunter College. Currently he is an associate professor of the Department of Printmaking in China Central Academy of Fine Arts.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2013 Spread: Tang Chenghua’s Art Exhibition, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
2013 Trace: Tang Chenghua’s Art Exhibition, SZ Art Center, Beijing, China
2012 TANGSILK Extending, Mindu Art Museum, Fuzhou, China
2011 TANGSILK Extending, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
2007 The Clouds in the Sky - Tang Chenghua’s Exhibition, CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, China
Selected Group Exhibitions
2013 Another Utopia “Shanghai Abstract Series – Nomadic”, Shanghai Mingyuan Art Museum
2013 Exhibition of China’s Alliance of Printmaking Studios, Jiangsu Art Museum, Nanjing, China
2012 “Paper – Not Paper” Work Exhibition, CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, China
2010 Beijing International Art Biennale, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
2008 Chinese Contemporary Art Documentary Exhibition, Gehua Art Museum, Beijing, China
2006 Peninsula Invitational Exhibition of Prints – To Review and Preview Chinese Prints, the Peninsula Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2005 The 2nd Beijing International Art Biennale, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
About the exhibition
Curator: Shan Yan
Participating Artist: Tang Chenghua
Venue: Today Gallery
Organizer: Today Art Galleria﹒Today Gallery
Organization of Academic Support: Today Art Museum
Duration: June 28 – July 24, 2014
Opening Reception: at 3:00 pm on June 28, 2014
Text bu Zhu Li, translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO
Photo Courtesy of the artist.
