Highly regarded for his ability to reinvigorate his own artistic techniques and forms, Zeng Fanzhi’s art works explore line and control, time and singularity and the interplay between concealment and display. He has grappled with these themes with fierce independence and endurance throughout his career.
This exhibition, named after a graphical line singled out from Zeng’s work, examines the manner in which the artist manipulates texture to render subject matter both as layers of memory and of paint. Comprising 9 artworks, Zeng Fanzhi Line presents a selection of paintings, sculpture and works on paper produced by the artist over the last quarter century.
Widely credited for his engagement with the historical discourse on art both from the East and the West, Zeng has become one of the most renowned and recognizable names in the practice of contemporary art today. We are honored to make a contribution to this conversation through an exhibition in which the artist’s breadth, complexity and insight are on rich display.
About artist:
Zeng Fanzhi was born in Wuhan, China in 1964, and lives and works in Beijing. Solo exhibitions include: “Zeng Fanzhi: Idealism,” Singapore Art Museum, Singapore (2007); “Zeng Fanzhi,” Musée d'Art Moderne de Saint-Etienne de Metropole (2007); “Zeng Fanzhi,” Fundación Godia, Barcelona (2009-2010); “2010: Zeng Fanzhi,” Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai (2010); “Zeng Fanzhi”, Gagosian Gallery, Hong Kong (2011); “Zeng Fanzhi”, Gagosian Gallery, London (2012-2013); “Zeng Fanzhi: Paintings, Drawings and Two Sculptures”, Gagosian Gallery, New York (2015); “Zeng Fanzhi: Parcours”, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing (2016); and “Zeng Fanzhi | Van Gogh”, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (2017). Conceived as a single show spanning three locations simultaneously in Zurich, London and Hong Kong, “Zeng fanzhi: In the Studio” represents at Hauser & Writh in 2018. His works have also been featured in various group exhibitions, including: the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009); “The World Belongs to You,” Palazzo Grassi, Venice (2011–12); "Prima Materia,” Punta Della Dogna, Venice, Italy (2013); “Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China,” Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2013–14), etc. Zeng’s work was the subject of a phased retrospective at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 2013–14. Invited by the specially commissioned exhibition at the Musée du Louvre in 2014, his painting From 1830 till now No. 4 (2014) was shown alongside Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People (1830).
以持续为自己的艺术表现手法和形式注入新能量的能力而闻名，曾梵志在作品中不断探索着线条与控制，时间与奇点和作品中时而隐匿、时而显现的互动关系。他以坚韧的独立性和毅力与这些贯穿了自己创作道路的主题较量着。
本次展览的名称取自曾梵志作品中提炼出来的一根线条，旨在探究艺术家如何运用绘画的质感来呈现主题，隐于其下的有记忆的层次，就如不断叠加在画布上面的颜料的层次。展出的9件作品，包括油画、雕塑和纸本等不同形式，皆为艺术家过去25年以来的创作。
曾梵志对东西方艺术历史的深入探索，无疑造就了他在今天的当代艺术届最知名和最被认可的地位。我们非常荣幸地将艺术家作品的广度，复杂性和洞察力通过本次展览予以丰富的呈现，让曾梵志的艺术创作中不断进行的中西对话在此得以延续。
关于艺术家：
曾梵志1964年生于中国武汉市，现于北京居住和创作。他曾在多个博物馆及机构举行个展，包括新加坡美术馆的「曾梵志：理想主义」（2007年）、圣艾蒂安现代美术馆的「曾梵志」（2007年）、巴塞罗纳高迪基金会的「曾梵志」（2009年）、上海外滩美术馆的「2010·曾梵志」（2010年）、北京尤伦斯当代艺术中心的「曾梵志：散步」（2016年）及阿姆斯特丹梵高美术馆的「曾梵志 | 梵高」（2017年）。2018年秋季，展览「曾梵志」于豪瑟沃斯苏黎世、伦敦和香港三地同时举办。曾梵志也参与多个联展，包括第53届威尼斯双年展（2009年）、意大利威尼斯格拉西宫的「世界属于你」（2011–2012年）、意大利威尼斯海关大楼的「原始物质」（2013年）、纽约大都会艺术博物馆的「水墨艺术：当代中国艺术的今夕与共」（2013–2014年）等等。他亦曾于2013至2014年在巴黎现代艺术博物馆举行大型阶段性回顾展。在2014年应邀于卢浮宫举行的特别展览中，他的作品《从1830年至今No. 4》（2014年）与欧仁·德拉克罗瓦的名作《自由领导人民》（1830年）并列展出。