The Symphony of Life by Yue Gang Weng

About

Yue Gang Weng is a professional painter with a multicultural identity who challenges traditional art styles in innovative ways, exploring the possibilities enabled by different materials and mediums. He was born in Shanghai in 1958 and obtained Fine Arts degrees specialising in oil painting from both, the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts & the Shanghai Institute of Education, sponsored by both institutions. Later, he relocated to Buenos Aires, Argentina in his mid-late twenties, where he founded the unique painting style ‘New Creation in Chinese Painting’.

His artworks aim to celebrate life and our existence. They have been exhibited and praised at several locations around the world, including China, Argentina, Italy, and France, where his painting 'Fairy of the Mountain' was awarded first place at the 1989 Paris New Youth competition. His acclaimed solo exhibitions in Buenos Aires, include the Museum of Oriental Arts, the (Argentine) National Rooms of Culture at the Palais de Glace, the 'Salón Francés' at the French Alliance and Park Hyatt, among several others. His paintings are not only known as his personal form of expression, but also as diplomatic symbols. His painting 'Southern Pearls' is permanently exhibited at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Argentina, representing the newly established friendly diplomatic link between China and the Republic of Korea since 1995. Furthermore, in 1997, his painting ‘Navigation’ was commissioned by the Argentine Chancellery to become part of their Department of Asia’s collection.

‘The Symphony of Life’ exhibition at Zari Gallery will encompass a range of paintings from three of his collections: ‘New Creation in Chinese Painting’, ‘The Dunhuang Series’ and ‘The Landscape Series’.

In his ‘New Creation in Chinese Painting’ collection, he uses the techniques of oil painting, but instead of painting with oil colours on canvas, he paints with watercolours and Chinese ink on rice paper, breaking the tendency of the traditional Chinese paintings of the time.

His ‘Dunhuang Series’ is a collection of oil paintings depicting the images of Chinese Dunhuang Mogao caves' wall and silk paintings. The fine lines and curves for the details are done using a round-tip paintbrush, while the rough appearance and texture of the original historical paintings are recreated using painting knives.

Lastly, the ‘Landscape Series’ is a collection of Yue Gang Weng ́s early paintings, featuring different Chinese landscapes. Within this series, there are two subseries: 'Shanghai ́s Ancient Neighbouring Towns' and 'Chinese Nature Landscapes'. The painting styles and techniques included in this collection are oil on canvas, gouache on paper, watercolours on paper.

All his paintings are united by the essence reflected in Weng’s statement as an artist:

'Along the curves of the music staff,
nature’s space and fissures,
accompanied by ink, rhythm, and melody,
create a harmonious symphonic picture,
awakening the entire cosmos
I embrace with my whole heart.'