Xiao Hanqiu: Love Stories and Horror Stories
My experience with Xiao Hanqiu’s work has been limited as this show was her first solo exhibition in the United States. Suffice to say this show left an impact and continues to help pave the way for other Chinese artists looking to break into the US gallery spaces and art markets. Hanqiu’s style is clean and crisp, simple yet elegant; a modern style of oil painting that draws influence from the masters of the past. These paintings operate in a similar way to her poetry, juxtaposing objects while placing them in simple yet evocative environments. They read in a linear fashion eluding to a larger overall narrative for the show itself. Much like the title, the show speaks to love and intimacy while also subtly hinting at the absurd. Hanqiu is a true master in this regard, making the paintings bold while maintaining softness through her brush stroke as well as delicate depictions of the female form. The stark contrast from painting to painting is where this show really shines. In some of the pieces such as Lily of the valley and flying rose elegant female forms are portrayed while with Swan or what else do you think it is and Birthday party, she dives deeper into the world of the odd and absurd. This show brings the viewer in and pulls us out, yet is still able to leave us with a sense of fulfillment and resolution when we leave.
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This review of Xiao Hanqiu and his work Love Stories and Horror Stories is interesting. It provides information and context for the artist's ideas unintentionally raised my interest in learning more about this Chinese poet. I agree with the article that the paintings operate in a similar way to her poetry. Gentle and elegant, they suggest absurdity while provoking thought. I was transported into the spiritual world of Xiao Hanqiu. It was helpful to comment on the interpretation of the writer's personal style and the combined presentation of the artworks. It made me wonder about the more detailed description of one of the paintings in this series, and what role it plays in this exhibition.
ReplyDeleteI am interested in this review, as it seems like you are enthusiastic about the artist and show. It might be more clear to choose whether you are approaching the review more as a person narrative or a description. As it currently reads, only the first sentence directly references your experience, which throws me off from the tone of the rest of the review. There is a lot packed into this writing, so maybe it would benefit from focusing on just one or two examples but going into more detail about how the pieces look.
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