Xie Qing’s new works of flower-and-bird painting contain stories, she brings stories into her?paintings and the new works are filled with the different clusters?from the past.

In 2014, Xie Qing?initially created the triptych?entitled “The Silent Boulogne”, the screens are filled with strong sunlight. She has been chasing?the strong, radiant and enchanting sunshine that she saw in the garden in Provence. Xie Qing still uses the technology of boneless painting?blended into freehand brushwork, and she finds the best flowers to convey a sense of sunshine, so that she can fully express the sunshine in the painting. Xie Qing still uses an expressive way of?boneless painting?blended into the freehand brushwork?of flowers and birds, which not only demands?a new skill in using raw rice paper, ink and color but also?because?of the sketch?characteristic of boneless?painting, it requires the painter’s heavy observation and continuous?accumulation?of skills throughout life. Xie Qing emphasizes?sketching, observing the spirit of flowers.?She intently collects materials, often single-mindedly researches a type of flower, starting from the growth of leaves when they are buds?and then blooming, she chases?after the blooming of flowers. She?observes?some type of flower in a certain place, and then goes to the hill where the flower?blooms in order to see it. Xie Qing collects these materials?year after year?to build up a small database of flowers,?which is also shared with her students.

In 2015, Xie Qing spent nearly a year in creating a large-scale work?entitled “Herb Garden”, bringing together dozens of?different morphology of flowers from different regions, to form a warm, bright?painting that is filled with a radiant and enchanting sense of sunshine. In?2016, her new works also feature a?new look.?The three works “White”, “Yellow”?and “Purple”?use the pure white, yellow?and purple with?few changes, to depict?the?Herb Garden in the mind of Xie Qing. It is also an attempt?at the semi abstract, which is considerably difficult. In the work entitled “Montmartre”, Xie Qing introduces the image of a building onto the screen, which gives a big bearing to the?flower-and-bird painting. It forms a visual tension between the?distant grand building?and nearby flowers, which expands the spatial dimension of the painting. Xie Qing’s works?do not only extend the theme and the bold innovation of composition, they also offer a valuable exploration of the contemporary developmental path of Chinese?painting and also offers a new visual image?case for Chinese and western cultural exchanges and mutual learning. “Princess Swan”?and “Prince Frog”?are both in a fairy-tale color,?and they are combined with thoughts?about environmental safety. Along with humans’?development, it expands a larger and deeper natural section, so animals’?living space is extruded, and the animals which originally?harmoniously coexisted with humans in life, are replaced by?handicrafts used to decorate?our life?in the environment.

Xie Qing?has been exploring the field of flower-and-bird creation for more than 20 years, these works present?Xie Qing’s recent stories and?the positive thinking,?which opens?many windows?to develop?more possibilities.

Text by Yue Jieqiong, translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO.

About the Exhibition

Title: Blooming Season - Xie Qing’s New Works Exhibition

Opening: 3:00 pm, April 24, 2016

Organizers: School of Chinese Painting, CAFA, SZ Art Center

Undertaker: Beijing Songyafeng Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Curator: Yue Jieqiong

Duration: April 24 - May 5, 2016

Open Hours: 10 am – 6 pm daily

Venue: SZ Art Center, East Street 798 Art District, No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing