PRESS RELEASE – FOR MAY 2012 LISTINGS AND REVIEWS

　　Simply Black & White

　　Galloping against the Skyline;

　　Reminiscing about the Rhythmical Beauty of Lotus

　　2012 Exhibition of Artworks

　　by Artists Qi Hong & Wang Shao Xuan

　　of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts

　　SOCIETE GENERALE Gallery

　　Alliance Française de Singapour

　　22 – 26 May 2012

　　Mon to Fri, 11am to 7pm;

　　Sat, 11am to 5pm;

　　Sun and PH Closed

　　Admission is free.

　　For press images and enquiries contact:

　　Benedict Tan, Gallery Manager

　　benedict@alliancefrancaise.org.sg

　　T: +65 6833 9314

　　SOCIETE GENERALE Private

　　Banking Gallery

　　Alliance Française de Singapour

　　1 Sarkies Road, Level 2,

　　Singapore 258130

　　AFexhibitions@alliancefrancaise.org.sg

　　www.alliancefrancaise.org.sg

　　T: +65 6737 8422

　　F: +65 6733 3023

　　Title of Exhibition:

　　Simply Black & White

　　Exhibition runs from

　　22 – 26 May 2012

　　Supported by:

　　The Gallery is Presented by:

　　Simply Black and White: Image of Galloping against the Skyline series by Qi Hong

　　INTRODUCTION

　　This exhibition focuses on black and white paintings by two

　　Chinese artists Qi Hong and Wang Shao Xuan. The idea of this

　　exhibition Simply Black and White came from the idea of

　　expressing the black tones against the light coloured paper, to

　　achieve the simplicity of beauty by just using minimal colour

　　tones, reducing reality to a two-coloured world. Black and White

　　Series consist of a series of semi-abstract Chinese ink horses

　　painted by Qi Hong and another series of abstract lotus along

　　the scenery of ponds painted by Wang Shao Xuan.

　　-1-

　　GALLOPING AGAINST THE SKYLINE

　　Throughout the course of history, the Chinese have always held horses in high

　　esteem. The totem of the Chinese people has always been the Dragon; the Dragon

　　and the Horse have been known to be of equal standing in Chinese traditions.

　　According to the rites of Zhou (Zhou Li), as well as the Classic of Mountains and

　　Rivers, the Dragon and the Horse are essentially similar in both spirit and form.

　　Since ancient times, the Horse has been known to be a symbol of the Gods and

　　Great Harvest. It signifies vitality and vigour. The Horse is steadfast, courageous,

　　brave, carefree, and forthright. It also represents ability, sageness, talent and

　　success. The ancient people have often likened the Horse to concepts such as

　　tenacious and unconventional talents.

　　Qi Hong specialises in painting horses. Against the backdrop of the 1998

　　Northwestern culture, Qi Hong started using horses as his creative inspiration,

　　which eventually led his Chinese brush painting to take on a life of its own. He

　　drew his inspiration from painter Xu Bei Hong’s simple yet powerful strokes,

　　adding on his own characteristic strokes that are unbridled, free-spirited and broad.

　　The whole style is forthcoming, uninhibited with a touch of aesthetic and charm,

　　creating strong visual impact for the viewer.

　　Qi Hong’s fine horse paintings are extraordinary with a moving spirit and refined

　　structure. His paintings are an expression of his rich emotions, passions, and

　　affections, which are deeply integrated into his every brush and stroke. His works

　　portray the creatures as an unrestrained and impelling flurry of energy.

　　Qi Hong uses only colours of simplicity, black and white and broad strokes to

　　create an aura of the wild nature of the creature that is both fascinating and riveting.

　　His style goes beyond the boundaries of the paper, carefree and poignant.

　　He focuses on creating works that convey noble beauty, making the horse a larger

　　than life creature of unparalleled aura. His abstract and unconventional style traces

　　the form of the horse without restricting its spirit, elevating art to a sublime level.

　　He aims to achieve an otherworldly standard by surpassing his predecessors, while

　　embracing the spontaneous reins of the horse.

　　Written by Beryl Bao

　　Continues next page…

　　-2-

　　ARTIST BIOGRAPHY OF QI HONG

　　Artist Qi Hong has made immense contribution towards the creative arts industry

　　and its education for over 30 years. His artistic works have gained him recognition,

　　having been on long-term exhibition in art galleries from all over the world,

　　including the United States, Canada, Finland, Australia, Japan, Singapore and

　　Malaysia. He has also groomed countless international talents.

　　Qi Hong moved to Singapore in 2010 and took on the position of the Chief Painter

　　of the Oriental Museum of Art. Leveraging on his solid foundation in the arts, he

　　managed to break all traditional frontiers that revolved around the concept of

　　human and horses as close companions and friends.

　　Artist Qi Hong was born in 1960s in a Chinese rural family at a northeast

　　province of China. His family was poor. At the age of three, he started to

　　learn painting by self-study in the form of engraving pictures on the stone.

　　His paintings were often as vivid as life. In 1983, he was admitted to the Lu

　　Xun Academy of Fine Arts to study oil paintings by passing the entrance

　　examination. He graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts and continued

　　to pursue his further studies in the Department of Mural Arts. In 2010, Qi

　　Hong traveled to Singapore and became a visiting artist in the Oriental Arts

　　Centre. In the duration of more than twenty years of fine arts education, he

　　had trained and nurtured many outstanding artistic talents all over the

　　world. Based on his solid foundation of training and achievements, Qi Hong

　　has broken the traditional frame of formal style and created his own unique

　　artistic form of expression in the field of fine arts. He specializes in Chinese

　　ink painting, western oil painting and mural works with deep

　　accomplishments in his brushworks.

　　Artist Qi Hong is especially good at painting horses. Since 1995, he has

　　been painting horses as the main theme of art creation by selecting the

　　Chinese culture of Northwest as background of his works. Gradually, his

　　Chinese ink painting of horses has immersed in the combination of western

　　style of realism and unique form of oriental freehand painting. His works

　　adopted the concise and accurate approach of Xu Beihong to paint with

　　even more variety of graceful, dynamic and momentum of horses. His

　　pursuit of creative achievement is to develop and reach the highest stage of

　　fullest potentiality of the arts form.

　　Images of exhibition listed next page…

　　-3-

　　IMAGES OF ART WORKS BY QI HONG

　　Simply Black and White: Image of Galloping against Skyline series by Qi Hong

　　Simply Black and White: Image of Galloping against Skyline series by Qi Hong

　　-4-

　　RHYTHMICAL BEAUTY OF LOTUS

　　An interpretation of “ “Memory – The Charming Lotus” Art Series

　　The “Charming Lotus” is part of the “Memory” series of one of artist, Wang

　　Shao Xuan’s most prominent works. Its eponymous title provided a clue to its

　　interpretation. “The Literary Mind and the Carvings of Dragon” espoused that there

　　is semblance even in different intonation brought about by similar rhythm. As such,

　　people’s memory of the lotus from a long time ago has since been synonymous

　　with form and soul. The disposition of the Lotus’ charm has been known to evoke

　　the ultimate realm of traditional Chinese art creation and appreciation which

　　integrates form and soul to become one.

　　The lotus is a symbol of harmony and perfection in the traditional Chinese

　　culture, a sign of cultural legacy that intertwines the sacred and secular; rich and

　　poor; individual and masses; veracity and fallacy; pure and evil; beauty and

　　hideous. Both the lotus and the idea of harmony are hence, the ultimate spirit of the

　　traditional Chinese culture. The pointed little edges of the lotus in the painting

　　stand tall and dainty, prosperous and flourishing with a gaze that travels far and

　　beyond. As it sways to the rhythm of the wind, the sight is complemented by fishes

　　swimming around it even as it withers with time. The lotus is indeed a true

　　reflection of life with its myriad of vicissitudes.

　　This collection of works presents this traditional theme in the pure language of

　　oil painting, evoking the most fascinating imagery of all times! The truth is, if one

　　is totally honest with oneself, one will know that there is actually no distinct

　　difference between traditional and modernity; the past and the present because the

　　“present” is the end result of what one could never control or comprehend.

　　Approximately 200 years of development of the Chinese painting has revealed that

　　oil painting has cleverly integrated the Chinese personality, while successfully

　　globalising the Chinese ink product. This particular series of work is deliberately

　　aimed at breaking away from the restraints of artificial demarcation of East and

　　West, present and future to present the reality of life. This is a bold expression of

　　one’s true self. It is not tradition, the present nor intermediary that restrains us. It is

　　our obstinance towards these ideas that has tied us down.

　　A work of art is all about its aura and countenance. The author’s obsession

　　with books empowers him with the knowledge to reflect and optimise what he has

　　learnt about the world and life. His passion and persistence towards painting has

　　brought him from school to a financial institution and back to the institution of life

　　again, empowering him with the ability to live and breathe like a lotus, pure and

　　beyond all worldly desires. This series of work does not focus on form but soul and

　　the spirit of all things living, evoking the rhythm and soul of the subjects without

　　any strict and rigid manifestation. However, the artist may hold some regrets in his

　　heart as he feels more for the creation process than the end itself. This series of

　　works is but a memory of what he went through in the creation process.

　　The ancient people have been known to focus on the meaning behind the work

　　and not the form itself. For what the audience sees in visual is nothing but a mere

　　end. What lies beyond is the real meaning behind the work itself.

　　Written by: Zhong Zhao Rong: Qing Hua Academy of Fine Arts Masters in Art History

　　-5-

　　IMAGES OF ART WORKS BY WANG SHAO XUAN

　　Simply Black and White: Image of Lotus Series by Wang Shao Xuan

　　Simply Black and White: Image of Lotus Series, painted by Wang Shao Xuan