Beautiful New World, the new exhibition at Nihaonet Gallery, opened to coincide with both Valentine’s Day and Chinese Spring Festival. The pieces selected, by brother and sister artists Chen Jingzhong and Chen Shulian, present tones of happiness and romance in sculptures, paintings and wood carvings.

A series of works about love, produced by Chen Jingzhong in 2003, are being shown in public for the first time as his contribution to Valentine’s Day. The series consists of 14 paintings and 6 sculptures. Occupying a space between the abstract and the figurative, Chen Jingzhong’s paintings leave a lasting impression of delight and romance. More amazing, though, are the six sculptures. Stones hollowed out into the form of a boat are lined up side by side, each filled with clear water. The liquid interior naturally attracts the eye, and lying on the bottom of each boat are the figures of a couple.

These sculptures, collectively named Lake in the Mountains, was inspired by an experience of the artist. He was lying in bed one day with his partner after a day’s tedious work, surrounded by quiet and peace, when he had a strange feeling, as if they were far away from the city and had settled themselves comfortably on the bottom of a lake in the mountains. Each of the couples represented at the bottom of each boat is different, suggesting the tossing and turning of sleeping couples and the changing relationship between the two figures.

A second series of sculptures by Chen Jingzhong is about love and respect for women. One piece, called Confrontation, represents a woman kneeling, but with a straight back and neck. In place of her face, there is a mirror. Chen Jingzhong explains that the kneeling pose represents the traditional inferior role of women, and her straight back is meant to suggest that as well as doing their household chores, modern women also have to pursue social status, like men. The reactions of the two sexes to this piece are fascinating: women tend to see the sculpted figure as representing themselves, while men see it as representing a lover.

A group of wood carvings by Chen Shulian are placed at one end of the gallery. They are in a modernist style and reflect the sensitive inner world of their creator. One, titled Family, is two faces merging together, with a new face, like a newborn baby, emerging from their union. The other pieces also involve various faces and expressions, creating a feeling of intimacy and inviting the viewer to project her own imagination into the situation.
Beautiful New World runs till March 18 at Nihaonet Gallery, opposite Zhongshan Park.

Tan Kah－kee exhibition

An exhibition of antiques from the Tan Kah-kee collection opened on February 18 at the Overseas Chinese Museum. Tan Kah-kee was a famous Chinese patriot who spent his business fortune endowing schools in Xiamen. The 140 exhibits on display, including bronze ware, ceramics and paintings, are selected from Tan’s vast collection of over 6000 pieces.

Paper cutting

Chen Qiuri, a master of arts from Zhangpu, makes paper-cuts with her family at the Botanical Gardens over the Spring Festival holidays.