When I see the paintings of artist Chen Weibang, it reminds me of the boldness and freedom of the father of Western “lyrical abstraction,” Georges Mathieu, but upon closer inspection, this slightly wild brushwork is intertwined with the charm of Eastern landscape, blending traditional Chinese artistic style with Western modernism. Recently, Tianqu International Art has brought the artist’s solo exhibition “Beyond the Elephant—Chen Weibang’s Aristocratic Landscape,” giving everyone the opportunity to savor this style of abstract lyrical painting.
Chen Wei-bang studied in the United States and Italy, drawing artistic inspiration from modern and postmodern art in Europe and America. His painting style is influenced by Cubism, American Abstract Expressionism, and Neo-Expressionism, but the artist’s Eastern consciousness in cultural heritage remains intact. In addition to painting, he also delves into calligraphy, music, new poetry, and philosophy, allowing his artwork to display a diverse range of calligraphic brushstrokes, the rhythmic flow of music, and the emotional abstraction of poetry, creating a unique aesthetic in the images.
“The image beyond the image” comes from the Tang Dynasty poet Sikong Tu, meaning the artistic realm that expresses the beauty of spiritual connotation and imagery in poetry, where words are exhausted but meanings are endless, reflecting the ultimate pursuit of artists in Chinese classical aesthetics. Western abstract oil painting combines the poetic ambiguity of Chinese landscape, seeming both real and unreal, becoming a summary of his exploration in both Eastern and Western art and painting practice.
右：《狀態之二十二》 2022 布面塑膠彩 152 x 152 cm
As for what is “Jazz-style landscape”? Chen Weibang usually does not stick to the rules, regardless of the speed of the brush strokes, use of color, composition, and layout are constantly changing, just like the lively and unrestrained “spirit of freedom” in jazz music, so his abstract landscape paintings are permeated with the free energy of life.
Feel free to visit the exhibition and immerse yourself in the artist’s free and emotionally rich world of landscapes!
“The Image Beyond Image – Chan Wai-bun’s Aristocratic Landscape”
Date: April 7 to May 16, 2022 (Visit by appointment)
Time: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (Monday to Friday); 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm (Sunday)
Location: Gallery of Heavenly Interest Contemporary Art (21st Floor, Trade Centre, 1 Mei Wan Street, Tsuen Wan)
Image source and learn more: Tianqu International Art
