Renowned Chinese artist Zhou Chunya’s exceptional use of colours is reflected in his works such as the Green Dog and Peach Blossom series.
This year, the artist will bring his latest creations to debut in Macau after being invited by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Macau Museum of Art (MAM) and the Cultural Affairs Bureau, who are co-organizers of the exhibition entitled Zhou Chunya- New Works 2015.
Born in 1955 in Chongqing, China, Zhou graduated from the Printmaking department at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 1982 and the Experiment Art department of Kassel University in 1988. He is one of the best artists in terms of mastering the use of colours in contemporary Chinese art circles.
The exhibition that takes place between October 17 and January 3, showcases twelve oil paintings and a coloured bronze sculpture. All of the oil paintings are new works especially created for this exhibition and were inspired by Yangzhou, a city which has been an extraordinary influence on the development of traditional Chinese literati painting.
Zhou says he is more sensitive to colours than to the shapes and content in a painting.
“I love colours. I think that colours include all the philosophical ideas and social issues. They are independent from any attributes and are very powerfu. This is what I believe colour is and what I like about it,” he says.
In some of his works, Zhou’s use of colour challenges natural boundaries. In fact, the artist believes that colour is only a tool.
“The colour itself is not important. What is important is to show what the painting has to deliver. I think that colours themselves are already very influential elements in society. They do not need to be further explained.”
However, Zhou does not consider himself an impressionist, nor does he believe that the colours are the actual content of the painting. Instead, colour plays a more significant role in his creations, and sometimes he uses shapes to match the colours instead of the other way round.
In his exhibition at MAM, Zhou continues to use striking colours in his works. Among them are the oil paintings Pavilions, Terraces and Towers and Spring Scenery at Slender West Lake that are so ablaze and vivid that visitors will be mesmerized by the entwinement and collision of colours.
One of the paintings exhibited, Imitation of Shitao’s Painting, has been acquired by MAM and will become part of the permanent artistic collection of Macau.
Exhibition period: 17th October 2015 to 3rd January 2016
Exhibition venue: Av. Xian Xing Hai, Macau Museum of Art, 2nd Floor, Gallery of Special Exhibitions
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 7:00pm (no admittance after 6:30pm, closed on Mondays)
Admission Fee: MOP5 (Free admission on Sundays and Macao public holidays)
Information: +853 8791 9814 / www.MAM.gov.mo
