Zhang Wenrong - The Realism Of Hallucination

Today Art Museum, Beijing
6 July - 6 August 2014

Why do we still appreciate painting today? Following the birth of photography in the 19th century, painting as a genre of art has been challenged and questioned. The development of various art movements during the Modernist period has, however, tried to push the boundaries of painting to new territories, from post-Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism. Painting is no longer about representing reality, but is much more focused on expressions and exploration of human psychology and consciousness.

Contemporary art today is increasingly becoming more conceptualized and focused on new media, nevertheless the unique power and charm of painting has not faded. This is because painting can still offer a unique angle of  bservation and perception. When one looks inward to try to find his true self, and search for memories hidden in the deepest corner of his consciousness, the two dimensional images created by painting often can hold the key into that world. Zhang Wenrong’s work possesses this magic. Zhang’s work emerges from the constant dialogue and internal fighting between the artist and his inner spirit. The artist creates an eccentric world composed of free growing lines and a fusion of glowing colors. This world consists of shadows, a metaphorical reflection of reality – hallucinations of past memories.