 |
|
"Stroll" by Chinese artist Zhou Gang.
|
A unicorn, the Eiffel Tower and a Caucasian woman are painted in colorful inks on rice paper in what appears to be an oil painting by Zhou Gang.
This painting and others combining Western content and traditional Chinese techniques and materials are on display at the "Rhyme of Paris" exhibition at the Levant Art Gallery.
Zhou, 50, who lives in Paris, studied Chinese traditional ink painting since childhood. He obtained a master's degree in art at the University of Tokyo and a doctoral degree at the University of Paris.
With systematic observation and research in both Chinese and Western arts, Zhou came up with what he calls "melange," using Chinese techniques to express Western content.
"Everything in the universe is a mixture of elements, and human beings are by nature pursuing beauty though some argue beauty only belongs to the art in the 19th century," states Zhou. "These are laws of nature that no one can change. My paintings are just obeying the universal rules."
One of Zhou's favorite painting, "Vin Rouge et Femme Verte" ("Red Wine and Green Lady") is placed on a couch. It reflects Zhou's general impression of France - in the subtle background is a winery; an elegant woman's figure is delineated with a few thick and thin lines with misty effect. The effect only can be created by a soft brush on absorbent rice paper.
