Tina Keng Gallery at 2021 ART021 Shanghai: Main Galleries

Booth: C01

Participating Artists: Peng Xiancheng, Ava Hsueh, Peng Wei

Venue:Shanghai Exhibition Center 

The Tina Keng Gallery is pleased to announce our participation in ART021. For the fair’s 2021 edition, we present the works of four artists: Peng Xiancheng (b. 1941), Ava Hsueh (b. 1956), and Peng Wei (b. 1974). Through their respective practices in abstract painting and new ink art, the four artists exemplify the diverse styles of Greater Chinese contemporary art nurtured in a globalized context. We will present Peng Xiancheng’s long-awaited new series “South Wind,” on view alongside the work of his daughter Peng Wei — one of the most representative Chinese female artists. Injecting conviviality at the start of winter, the presentation at ART021 is an opportune celebration of Peng’s 80^th birthday, which promises to showcase a trans-generational interpretation on ink art between the father-daughter duo.

Peng Xiancheng (b. 1941)

Peng Xiancheng was born in 1941 in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. He is currently a national first-rank artist and an expert painter at the Sichuan Provincial Academy of Poetry and Calligraphy. He is also a member of the China Artists Association, a council member of the Chinese Painting Institute, and a researcher at the China National Academy of Painting. He receives a special subsidy from the State Council.

Modern but classic, Peng’s depiction of the natural world captures the subtle changes that occur amid seasons. His signature mogu, or boneless, technique portrays a vibrant and humble universe characterized by ethereal yet vivid imagery.

Peng’s works have been collected by the National Art Museum of China, Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, Beijing Fine Art Academy Museum, Sichuan Provincial Museum, Zhejiang Art Museum, Shenzhen Art Museum, China National Academy of Painting, Prince Charles of England, Professor Jerome Silbergeld of Princeton University, and Professor Wan Qingli of Hong Kong University.

Ava Hsueh (b. 1956)

Ava Hsueh has long used abstract language as her means of expression. In dexterous biomorphic and geometric abstractions, she creates a hybrid reality that corresponds to epochal shifts in contemporary abstract art. The artist’s dynamic brushwork imparts to her canvases an Eastern allure. The black contours not only exemplify the captivating quality of calligraphy, but also form a sort of natural landscape. What lies behind the dimension of imagery are the visible and invisible depths of temporal and spatial fields, achieved through her interweaving of lines and planes that cradle the pigments’ luster and warmth. Through her layered compositions, the charm of East and West blends with gradual expansion of aesthetics and consciousness. Hsueh continues to search for a way to present today's reality through abstract language, while exploring the various possibilities of contemporary abstract art.

Hsueh has exhibited internationally, including in Taiwan, China, Korea, Japan, France, Italy, and the U.S. Her works are housed in various collections, including the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art, Taichung, Taiwan; Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan; Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China; White Rabbit Museum, Chippendale, Australia; and private collections.

Peng Wei (b. 1974)

Seemingly shifting away from ink tradition, Peng Wei focuses her exploration in contemporary aesthetics on ink, and further transcends tradition. Her work revolves around the past of art, including the wisdom, memories, sorrows, and sense of reality found in ancient work. Rooted in traditional literati painting, her work incorporates everyday epiphanies and female reflection into elegant and delicate ink paintings, portraying the soft yet persevering spirit of Chinese literati. Peng Wei’s latest body of work “Calligraphy Series” recreates memorable poems of famous poets such as Mu Xin, Great Master Hong Yi, and Gustave Flaubert, casting the ink art tradition in a contemporary light. Rooted in heritage, the artist’s contemporary brushwork steeped in quaint charm encapsulates today’s feminine aesthetics.

Peng Wei has exhibited internationally, including The Poetry and Power of Music, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, United States (November 2021); Peng Wei: Feminine Space, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China (2020); I Thought of You, Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China (2017); and Coming Full Circle, National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan (2015). Her work is housed in public and private collections, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, U.S.; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, U.S.; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, U.S.; Brooklyn Museum, New York, U.S.; M+ Museum, Hong Kong, China; National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China, and Sigg Collection.