Amidst Smoke and Rain 《家近煙雨樓》 – A Solo Exhibition by Wang Tiande
Venue: iPreciation (誰先覺), 50 Cuscaden Road, HPL House #01-01, Singapore 249724
Private Preview: 11 Nov 2020 (By Invitation Only)
Exhibition Opens to Public: 12 Oct – 28 Nov 2020 (Due to social distancing, prior viewing arrangement is recommended. Please call 6339 0678 or email Brian at brian.foong@ipreciation.com)
iPreciation is proud to present a solo exhibition titled Amidst Smoke and Rain by Chinese contemporary artist Wang Tiande (b. 1960).
The title of this exhibition, Amidst Smoke and Rain, was derived from a seal of Wu Changshuo owned by Wang. 17 works on display are the artist’s reflections on the old and the new, subtly echoing with new insights he gained from his trip to Singapore beginning of 2020. Using incense as a substitute for brushes after being inspired by the sight of cigarette ash scorching a hole in the paper in his Paris studio in 2002, Wang paints a layer with ink, then stacks another layer of xuan paper on top, one which has been burned to form silhouettes of trees, mountains and snow. The visual gaps resulting from a relief-like effect as shadows form when light is shone on the art allow more room for imagination, breaking free from the aesthetics of traditional landscape paintings. Wang also merges his creations with original manuscripts or rubbings of stelae and seals from his personal collection as an attempt to reconnect modern art practices with ancient heritage.
Born in Shanghai in 1960, Wang Tiande graduated from the Chinese Painting Department of the China Academy of Fine Arts (formerly Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts) in 1988. Upon entering the Academy, he, alongside fellow schoolmates, was inundated with the 85’ New Wave Art Movement, which left an enduring mark on his subsequent creations full of explorations, probing the contemporisation of Chinese ink.
