Maine-inspired exhibit opens at Beijing gallery
- By Madison Flager
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 1, 2015
Accomplished young artist Moses Li returned to Shangba Art Gallery Sunday for the opening of his latest exhibition, "Latent Image," which will be on display at the gallery until June 23.
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A painting by Moses Li |
Li, who was born in Jilin Province, launched his last solo exhibition, "Soul to Speak," at Shangba Art Gallery in 2014. He graduated from the Second Studio of Oil Painting in 2010 and now lives and works in Beijing as an artist with the Onyx Gallery.
The works in Latent Image reflect Li's time spent on a quiet island in Maine from November 2014 to February 2015. All but three of the paintings in the exhibition are abstract, and many are made up of dark, cool tones. Titles like "Resurgence," "The Heavenly World," "Ascending" and "Departure" create an introspective tone, while others such as "Ice Rain," "Stream" and "Black Forest" demonstrate oneness with nature. Many of the paintings were inspired by the lakes and forests surrounding the cottage Li lived in while in Maine.
Li traveled to the United States to take part in a residency program with artist John Walker, and he lived largely in solitude. The quiet allowed Li to pay more attention to his inner heart and to think at a spiritual level, said Yu Yang, professor and academic chair of the exhibition.
Yu added that Li's artistic style -- abstract -- is not a typical art form in China, but it represents the art of the younger generation of artists and has rising momentum. Li said he began to be dissatisfied with the work he had painted, so he slowly transitioned from a realistic style to the new style.
The exhibit includes more than 30 oil paintings done on canvas, as well as a wall of photographs taken during Li's time in Maine. Many of the paintings were first sketched in Maine and then painted once Li returned to Beijing.
At the opening, curator and general manager of Onyx Gallery Susan Wang spoke, as did her husband and advisor for the event, Dr. Rasko Radovic. Li, Yu and others also addressed audiences at the event.
During his remarks, Radovic noted how wonderful it was for Li to have spent a few months in Maine and what an achievement it is for him to be selected as one of the 2015 Annual AAC Young Artist Top 30.
"With millions of aspiring young artists in China, it is not an easy accomplishment," Radovic said.
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