Hangzhou: West Lake

I seriously cannot get enough of this cheezy tourist place.  It's so Chinese!  Pagodas, row boats, lotus flower and FU DOGS!!!

Hangzhou: Xue Feng's studio

Thanks again to Professor Wu, we visited Professor Xue Feng's studio while in Hangzhou.  Prof Xue also teaches at the China Academy of Art in Hanzhou.  When I first walked into his studio on the 6th floor of an industrial complex, I felt I was suddenly transformed to Bushwick, Brooklyn?  Huge colorful canvases lined the walls and he quickly said he was getting ready to pack everything up for a show opening in Beijing at the end of September.  At first glance, the canvases look like the work of any abstract expressionist, upon further investigation and explanation, the canvases all rooted from one since landscape painting (Bruce Stiglich, are you paying attention?).  Each additional painting is derived from the original landscape painting infused with objects either from his memory (playing cards) or imagination (doorways).  We sat down and got into a very academic conversation about art, the state of art on the international stage and the influence of the east on the west and vice versa.  I asked about some German signs hanging in the shelves of his office.  Turns out, Professor Xue had spent some time in Berlin.  And then what I thought were bookshelves, is indeed a new series that he anticipates we will see in two years.  They are series of "drawers" full of memories and he plans on manipulating what we think are everyday object into something from new from his imagination, thus transforming our perspective on ordinary things.  He then plans on producing a series of paintings on the whole installation.

Hangzhou: Tang Mingxiu studio

I went to visit Professor WuShan of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou and he took me to Professor Tang Mingxiu's studio.  Prof. Tang is a legendary lacquer master in China and built Qiyuan, the famous "Garden of Lacquer".  Instead of me blabbering on about him here's video from from 09/09/2010 Journey in Time - Bodiless Lacquer-ware, Speciality of Fuzhou (5) - Pursuit of the essence, which will give you a brief intro to lacquer his work.  In his studio, students were creating a HUGE piece depicting the Great Wall of China.  It's a commission piece and not at all representative of his personal work, which is abstract and expressionist in nature.  His use of color is exceptional and is a true master of the craft of lacquer.

Professor Wu and Professor Tang

Students at work in Prof Tang's studio

Natural pigments used in lacquer ware

Hangzhou: Seafood

Is it still called seafood when it's from a river?  It was really good!!!

Ha! This is how my luggage feels...

 

Gallery J and Haiyatt

Cute little Haiyatt, an emerging artist from Hangzhou, contacted me out of nowhere last year.  She invited me to see her sculptural work at Gallery J in Shanghai, which turned out to have quite an impressive collection.

Tea master Jason at work again!