Zheng Lu

ZHENG LU

ZHENG LU REFLECTIONS ON STILL WATER

GALLE RY M IS S IO N Established in 2000, Sundaram Tagore Gallery is devoted to examining the exchange of ideas between Western and non-Western cultures. We focus on developing exhibitions and hosting not-for-profit events that encourage spiritual, social and aesthetic dialogues. In a world where communication is instant and cultures are colliding and melding as never before, our goal is to provide venues for art that transcend boundaries of all sorts. With alliances across the globe, our interest in cross-cultural exchange extends beyond the visual arts into many other disciplines, including poetry, literature, performance art, film and music.

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REFLECTIONS ON STILL WATER Sundaram Tagore Gallery Singapore is pleased to present this exhibition of gravity-defying metal sculptures by celebrated Beijing-based artist Zheng Lu. On view are new works, pieces from his iconic Water in Dripping series, and the monumental installation that garnered international attention at Art Stage Singapore 2016

compositions. What results are ethereal sculptures that are technically astonishing; their fluid, animated forms are charged with energy or qi. “The manner in which light passes through the hollow sculpture makes my work appear weightless, which dissolves the traditional idea of sculptures being solid and grounded,” says the artist.

Transforming the gallery space, Zheng’s restless stainless-steel forms leap across the room evoking splashes of water suspended mid-air. His works are composed of thousands of Chinese characters, which are laser-cut into metal then hand-welded together in a fashion similar to linking chainmail. The interlocking forms are then molded into dynamic

Zheng’s art is deeply influenced by his study of traditional Chinese calligraphy. A native of Inner Mongolia, he grew up practicing calligraphy with his grandfather and transcribing poetry for his father, a man of letters. His early works referenced Chinese calligraphy scrolls. He began carving characters into the surface of stainless-steel sheets introducing

Left: An assistant in the artist’s studio working on a piece from the Water in Dripping series.

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negative spaces. The punctured metal pieces transformed a heavy, cold medium into something both physically and psychologically lighter and more engaging.

The works from his Water in Dripping series are composed of text from the renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi’s Appreciation of Still Water. Here, not only does Zheng celebrate the power of water, an element essential to our existence, but he also revels in Bai’s unfettered imagination. These works continue his exploration of water while evoking Chinese literati concepts of a contemplative journey within nature. By using characters from texts of historical significance, he also draws on the custom of apprentices copying masters’ works yet pushes this idea further by introducing new interpretations and possibilities.

A leading figure of his generation, Zheng Lu graduated from Lu Xun Fine Art Academy, Shenyang, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture in 2003. In 2007, he received his Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing, while also attending an advanced study program at École nationale supérieure des beaux-

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arts in Paris in 2006 after being awarded the LVMH Young Artists’ Award.

Zheng Lu (b. 1978) has participated in numerous exhibitions in China and abroad, including a recent solo show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei and in Criss-Cross, a group show of work by leading young Chinese contemporary artists at Shanghai’s Long Museum. He has also participated in exhibitions at the Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem; The Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, Moscow; Musée Océanographique, Monaco; Musée Maillol, Paris; the National Museum of China, Beijing; and the Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art. His work is in collections worldwide, including the Long Museum, Shanghai; Suzhou Museum, China; and the UBS collection. In 2006 he was awarded the LVMH Young Artists’ Award.

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Water in Dripping - Splashing, 2014, stainless steel, 127 x 190 x 340 inches/322.5 x 482.6 x 863.6 cm

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Water in Dripping - No. 6, 2013, stainless steel, 65 x 51.2 x 39.4 inches/165 x 130 x 100 cm

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Water in Dripping - Leisurely, 2014, stainless steel, 59.1 x 47.2 x 59.1 inches/150 x 120 x 150 cm

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Water in Dripping - No. 1, 2009, stainless steel, 67 x 27.6 x 90.6 inches/170 x 70 x 230 cm

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Water in Dripping - No. 8, 2013, stainless steel, 65 x 39.4 x 51.2 inches/165 x 100 x 130 cm

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Water in Dripping - Yuan, 2016, stainless steel, 35.4 x 34.3 x 24 inches/90 x 87 x 61 cm

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Water in Dripping - Young, 2016, stainless steel, 47.3 x 45.3 x 9.5 inches/120 x 115 x 75 cm

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Water in Dripping - Clouds, 2014, stainless steel, 59.8 x 48 x 2 inches/152 x 122 x 5 cm

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SUNDARAM TAGORE GALLERIES new york new york hong kong singapore

547 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001 • tel 212 677 4520 fax 212 677 4521 • gallery@sundaramtagore.com 1100 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10028 • tel 212 288 2889 4/F, 57–59 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong • tel 852 2581 9678 fax 852 2581 9673 • hongkong@sundaramtagore.com 5 Lock Road 01–05, Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108933 • tel 65 6694 3378 • singapore@sundaramtagore.com

President and curator: Sundaram Tagore Director, New York: Susan McCaffrey Director, Hong Kong: Faina Derman Director, Singapore: Melanie Taylor Exhibition coordinator/registrar: Julia Occhiogrosso Designer: Russell Whitehead Editorial support: Payal Uttam and Kieran Doherty

WWW.SUNDARAMTAGORE.COM Text © 2016 Sundaram Tagore Gallery Photographs © 2016 Zheng Lu All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this catalogue may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Cover: Water in Dripping - Splashing (detail), 2014, stainless steel, 127 x 190 x 340 inches/322.5 x 482.6 x 863.6 cm