In 2016, talented young Chinese artists worked in Amstelveen. In the studios, profound works were created that were exhibited from January 17 to February 26, 2017, in the two large honorary halls of the Jan van der Togt Museum. It was an initiative that fits seamlessly with the internationally oriented character of the municipality of Amstelveen. For this reason, Alderman Maaike Veeningen personally committed herself to this collaboration.
The artists had recently graduated or were pursuing master's degrees at renowned institutes in China. Several of them had already won prestigious awards in their own countries. The exchange in the Netherlands influenced the working process of some artists, both socially and in terms of art history.
Artist Shan Feida (1991) displays dark, 'black' paintings with a critical and apocalyptic view of the future, as a social reference to our current times. Rampant weeds, large aircraft carriers, and gray urban landscapes are executed with an astonishing oil painting technique. Zhai Xuanhong (1987), originally from Shanghai, uses LED lighting as a subject in his work. He is fascinated by its seductive side; in one installation, he literally combines LED lighting with paint, while painstakingly 'dissecting' this light in his paintings. Zhang Ya (1987) also creates installations in which her search for deeper meaning takes center stage. Artists Ma Haijiao, Zhou Hang, and Jiang Xiaran are also showing current work in the form of installations.
Zhang Jing (1982) creates elaborate paintings with a Western feel; he admires the French painter Millet and Vincent van Gogh. Zhang Jing paints Western nudes — "Chinese nudes are often too posed" — in uninhibited poses. He draws inspiration from the internet for the source photos of naturist campsites and beaches. His technique is deliberately chosen: skilled paintings reminiscent of a realistic post-war painting style. In addition, the artist kept a beautifully illustrated diary of his working period in the Netherlands, which is also on display at the exhibition.
Li Rui (1983) was also inspired by the Dutch environment. He creates large paintings of dark landscapes. He drew inspiration from nighttime walks around 'De Poel', the lake next to the Jan van der Togt Museum, incorporating impressions of this into his work. Zhang Zhaoying (1988) creates large expressionist-abstract paintings in which various contemporary realistic elements are recognizable.
The exhibition is a collaboration between Oooit Art Consultancy, the Municipality of Amstelveen, and Museum Jan van der Togt.