Zeng Fanzhi may be one of the world’s most feted and valuable living artists, but the Beijing-based painter says he has little time for the publicity such stature brings.
Presenting a new showcase of canvases partly based on the 15th-century works of German master Albrecht Duerer at the Gagosian Gallery in London, Zeng told reporters he had developed what he called “exhibition-phobia”.
“The reason I chose to be an artist, since my childhood...is actually because I want to find a place that is tranquil...isolated from the outside,” Zeng, born in 1964, said at the unveiling of his first solo exhibition in Britain.
“Even now I am still seeking a quiet environment, a peaceful environment,” Zeng continued. “It is my personal dream that some day I can just do the painting.”
The choice to imitate Duerer, whose techniques Zeng learned as a student, is in keeping with this reflective mood.
“Returning to Duerer’s work I was particularly touched by the story behind one of his paintings: the praying hands.”