TWO current exhibitions successfully incorporate Western influences to provide irresistible cross-cultural works.
Wesley Tongson was born in Hong Kong in 1957, studied traditional Chinese painting from the age of 17, and later learned Western techniques in Canada. Upon his return he was greatly inspired by Zhang Daqian's splashed-ink paintings and has been experimenting with the technique for the past 10 years, developing his own method using mixed media on rice paper.
The resultant works are landscapes of movement, incorporating the grandeur and expansiveness of the skies in traditional Chinese paintings and the boldness and colour of Western abstract art.
At first glance his paintings are serene and surreal, but closer examination reveals infinite layers of mountains, snow, clouds, mist, trees and lakes in a unique, mystical world. The Vibrant Land can be seen at Artpreciation Gallery in Stanley Street, Central, until the end of the month.
About 25 per cent of the recent works by Cao Li, one of China's most acclaimed artists, show a refinement in style and indicate he may well be at his peak. He was among the first generation of artists who graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Art after the Cultural Revolution and has gained international recognition.
Unlike most of his contemporaries, Cao's work is playful and poetic: his surrealistic works re-assess the value of survival, dream and reality.