INK EXTRAODINAIRE by Asia Art Collective 10th April to 18 April 2015

I N K E X T R AO R D I N A I R E FAN SHAO HUA | LIU GUO | GUI ZHAO HAI

A N E X H I B I T I O N BY A S I A A RT C O L L E C T I V E 10 A P R I L - 18 A P R I L 2 015 | I O N A R T G A L L E RY

I N K E X T R AO R D I N A I R E FAN SHAO HUA | LIU GUO | GUI ZHAO HAI 《墨魂－范少华、刘国、桂兆海》

PROGR AMME HIGHLIGHTS E xhibition Opening S a t u r d ay, 11t h A p r i l 2015 , 3 :3 0 p m G u i d e d E x h i b i t i o n To u r & F o r u m : M o u n t i n g & C o ns e r v a t i o n of C h i n e s e I n k P a i n t i n g w i t h L i ve Demons tr ation S a t u r d ay, 11t h A p r i l 2015 , 3 : 45 p m -5 p m (S e s s i o n i s co n d u c t e d i n E n g l i s h & M a n d a r i n) Te a R e ce pt i o n i s s e r ve d .

R S V P t o i nfo @ a s i a a r t co l l e c t i ve . co m o r c a l l 67 33 -2155 / 9 0 0 5 - 6716 t o r e g i s t e r.

活 动内容 展览开幕 星 期 六，4 月1 1日，下 午 3 点 半 展 览导览 & 水墨画托裱 及修 复讲座 与示范 星 期 六，2 0 1 5 年 4 月1 1日， 下午3 时4 5 分至 下午 5 时 茶点招 待。 请电邮至 i nfo @ a s i a a r t co l l e c t i ve . co m 或 致 电 6 7 3 3 - 215 5 / 9 0 0 5 - 6 716 报 名 参 加 。 Fan Shao Hua. At Work, 1996.

Ink Extraordinaire by Fan Shao Hua, Liu Guo & Gui Zhao Hai runs from 10 April 2015 to 18 April 2015, from 11am to 10pm daily at ION Ar t Gallery, Level 4 ION Orchard. 《墨魂－范少华、刘国、桂兆海》展览将从2015年4月10日至4月18日举行， 每日从早上11点至晚上10点开放。

Painting on cover: Fan Shao Hua. Early Settlers in Singapore, 1996.

Asia Ar t Collective presents INK EXTRAORDINAIRE – a visually breathtaking exhibition of three ink masters: Fan Shao Hua, Liu Guo and Gui Zhao Hai. Fan Shao Hua (b. 1963 Guangzhou, China) is an ar tist based in Singapore since 1992. Fan star ted to learn ink painting at the age of ten, under the Guangdong master Lu Yanguang and studied both Western and Chinese painting since he was in secondary school. Fan graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Ar ts in China in 1985, and first began his career as an ar t teacher in the university. Fan migrated to Singapore in 1992, where he developed his career as a full-time ar tist. Being taught the foundation of both Chinese ink and Western oil painting, Fan has a deep understanding of both mediums, and has developed a unique style in his painting.

Fan Shao Hua painting a portrait

During the first few years of his relocation to Singapore, he was inquisitive of the new environment before him, and grew a strong interest and sensitivity to the local sights and sounds before him. With a keen observation, Fan captures familiar scenes and personalities of our neighbourhood and presents skillfully with his ink and brush. Por traying an aged lady self-absorbed in her daily chores as a vegetable seller, the ar tist creates unique frames out of common scenes of people and places open to our interpretation.

Understanding Singapore’s recent history and inspired by stories of her nation-building and struggles, Fan was emphathetic to the hardship faced by Singapore’s early settlers – the Samsui woman and coolies. Fan visited the Samsui woman in their hometown in Lanshui, Guangdong, and painted their por traits. The moments of hardship, struggle and dignity can be seen in these faces, a testament to the ar tist’s skill and observation.

Recognised for his ability in the genres of social realism and por traiture, Fan has a talent for capturing not only the likeness, but also the inner character and spirit of his subject.

Vegetable Seller. 1995.

presents a debut of a whole series of Fan Shao Hua’s social realist ink works from the nineties. His street scenes bring to life the moments of both old and new Singapore, through his use of perspective, light and depth. The use of detail adds another layer of narrative, preserving the stories of Singapore’s development and progress. Fan Shao Hua won the First Prize in the 19th UOB Painting of the Year Award Competition in 2000, and is the first Singaporean ar tist to exhibit in all three major museums in China, at the National Ar t Museum of China, Shanghai Ar t Museum and the Guangdong Museum of Ar t.

INK EXTRAORDINAIRE

1

Liu Guo (b. 1956, Jilin Province, China) graduated from the Depar tment of Fine Ar t at Nor theast Normal University, majoring in Chinese landscape painting, and fur ther schooled in the Zhejiang Academy of Ar t (now known as China Academy of Ar t) in Chinese landscape painting, where he was taught under the most acclaimed 20th century Chinese ink masters Lu Yanshao, Liu Haisu, Sha Menghai, Wu Zuoren and others. Liu currently heads the Depar tment of Fine Ar t at the Jilin Institute of Education and is the founder of the Changbaishan Ar t Academy, in addition to his numerous academic and honourary positions. Liu had contributed to the teaching of Chinese ink painting through a unique set of twelve techniques of ink and colour painting. In 1991, he completed a 60 metre scroll painting, ‘The Majesty of Mt. Changbaishan’, winning praise in China and abroad, establishing himself as an eminent contemporary ink painter.

Hailing from the rugged and cold landscape of Nor theastern China, Liu imbues in his landscape paintings a sense of sublime beauty, where the vastness of nature co-exist with all living things, great and small. Liu is adept in representing snow in all its conditions with great sensitivity, a result of his lifetime of immersion and his unique technique of “leaving white”, allowing the paper to shimmer with light. Showcased in this exhibition are his recent works which touches on the splendour and beauty of nature.

2

Gui Zhao Hai (b.1974, Anhui, China) is an ar tist and calligrapher residing in Beijing. He graduated from the Beijing Fine Ar t Academy in 2010 where he studied under Li Xiaoke, and in a special landscape class led by Jia Youfu at the Central Academy of Fine Ar ts, Beijing. Gui’s practice can be framed within the lineage of a Chinese modern ar t movement going back to the renowned 20th century ar tist Li Keran (1907-1989), a movement which incorporated elements of Western ar t practice such as the direct study of landscape from life, as opposed to repetition of classical Chinese landscape forms.

Drawing inspiration from the desolate and mountainous regions of Sichuan, Gui Zhao Hai’s works can be described as a force of nature in itself. The majesty of towering mountains to the deathly silence of a moonlit night in the highlands – his works are visual poetry and representation grounded in the experience of life.

Gui’s paintings have been winning awards in national ar t competitions in China. Most recently, in 2014, ‘The Moon before me’ was selected out of numerous painting submissions to be showcased in the ‘Spirit of Beihong’ National Chinese painting exhibition held in Jiangsu, China, organised by the China Ar tists Association.

The Moon before me. 2013. Ink on paper, 212 x 100 cm.

3

FAN SHAO H UA

范少华

Rattan Shop. 1998. Ink and colour on paper, 114 x 48 cm.

4

Good Season. 1997. Ink on paper, 196 x 96 cm.

5

Waiting. 1996. Ink and colour on paper, 132 x 68 cm.

6

Singapore Back Alley. 1998. Ink and colour on paper, 114 x 48 cm.

7

L I U G UO

8

刘国

Silver Winter. 2015. Ink and colour on paper, 69 x 137 cm.

9

Rhythm of the pine forest. 2014. Ink and colour on paper, 95 x 173 cm.

10

Early Snow in Changbaishan. 2014. Ink and colour on paper, 136 x 68 cm.

11

Mist over the Mountains. 2014. Ink and colour on paper, 169 x 96

12

Spring Pastoral. 2014. Ink and colour on paper, 96 x 178 cm.

13

G U I ZHAO HAI

桂兆海

Longing. 2014. Ink and colour on paper, 125 x 62 cm.

14

The Mountain Spirit. 2014. Ink and colour on paper, 125 x 62 cm.

The Highlands. 2014. Ink and colour on paper, 129 x 62 cm.

15

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Snowy Mountain. 2014. Ink and colour on paper, 246 x 62 cm

The Dawn on the Horizon. 2014. Ink and colour on paper, 241 x 40 cm.

Liu Guo. Silver Winter. 2015. Ink and colour on paper, 69 x 137 cm.

Asia Art Collective is an art gallery and consultancy specialised in representing emerging and established Singaporean and Chinese artists. We provide a range of art-related services including artwork commissioning and artwork dealing, sourcing and brokerage services for private and public collectors. We welcome both new and experienced collectors to discuss with us on your collecting interests and appraisal needs.

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday: 11am - 7pm Sunday and Public Holidays: By appointment only Gallery address: 19 Tanglin Road, #03-42 Tanglin Shopping Centre, Singapore 247909 Tel: 6733 2155 Email: info@asiaartcollective.com

Published on the occasion of Ink Extraordinaire: Fan Shao Hua | Liu Guo | Gui Zhao Hai (10 April 2015 - 18 April 2015, ION Art Gallery) Š Asia Art Collective. All rights reserved.