ART GUIDE
Mao Jianhua The Spirit of the Valley 27 June - 7 July 2019. Presented by Maydiang Group, Saatchi Gallery
M
ao Jianhua has his first exhibition in the UK. Chinese artist and entrepreneur, Mao Jianhua, will present a new series of 48 works on specially commissioned handmade paper at Saatchi Gallery, London from 27 June - 7 July. Interested from a young age by the ancient art of calligraphy and more recently by the Chinese landscape painting tradition, ‘Shan Shui’, from the Song, Yuan and Qing dynasties - Mao Jianhua’s greatest inspiration is the Yellow Mountains, an area of outstanding natural beauty in Eastern China, and a place of artistic pilgrimage for thousands of years. The title of the exhibition is derived from a phrase of verse from Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, which draws parallels between the mystery of the creative process and that of nature. Lao Tzu (alongside Chuang Tzu and Lieh Tzu) is one of the founders of Taoism, the belief that the universe follows an inherent harmony, regardless of human presence. Mao Jianhua acknowledges Taoism as a strong influence on his way of being and artistic practice. The exhibition showcases a series of landscape ink paintings created on Xuan paper, a material handmade from the Sandalwood tree which has
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traditionally been used for writing and painting. Varying in size with several large scale works, the paintings immerse the viewer in Mao Jianhua’s spiritual exploration of nature and his time spent in the Chinese mountains. Polymorphic shapes in black ink give the works a rhythmic quality, which are at times enlivened with blue, green and red. These dynamic works are offset by one painting left untouched, mirroring the infinite state of Wu-Chi. Mao Jianhua’s works are personal and poetic, influenced by spirituality yet rooted in tradition. He has said, “The true work of art, whether it is a painting or sculpture, must be an expression of the freedom of life. Behind every work of art there is a message of interior harmony and a feeling of peace.’ Martina Mazzotta, Curator of The Spirit of the Valley , said: “The poetic force and beauty of this new series of works by Mao Jianhua invites us on a journey that challenges both our body and mind with an experience where art and Tao are inherently connected. This exhibition is an opportunity to explore an area of culture which is in many ways still a mystery in much of the Western world.” www.maojianhua.com
“The poetic force and beauty of this new series of works by Mao Jianhua invites us on a journey that challenges both our body and mind with an experience where art and Tao are inherently connected” Clockwise from top: MIRAGE 27, ink on handmade paper, 245x122cm; MIRAGE 8, ink on handmade paper, 69x69cm; MIRAGE 30, ink on handmade paper, 122x178cm; MIRAGE 28, ink on handmade paper, 145x234cm ; MIRAGE 9, ink on handmade paper, 69x69cm