反璞归真-写给中国艺术家徐邠

‘Simplicity’, a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Xu Bin Having trained in the traditional discipline of Chinese ink painting, Xu Bin’s minimalist technique of figurative paintings is characterised by fine detailed Chinese calligraphic strokes that are re-painted with soft layers of colour. Xu is fascinated with the Western technique of “geometric composition” and infuses it in his own work. His present style is a combination of this western aesthetic and Chinese technique. The paintings may at first glance seem familiar but on closer inspection the subtlety of the composition becomes apparent. Xu’s paintings embody a certain solitude and silence, which in a modern, visually overloaded world, is at once comforting and lonely. The artist believes that ink painting conforms to his own character. He is a quiet person, but drawing insects and other creatures gives his paintings vitality. The insects that appear in Xu Bin’s latest collection come from youthful reminiscences intertwined with the artist’s immersion in the study of classical Chinese ink paintings as a child. In particular, the butterfly makes frequent appearances, often confined in cages or behind curtains. The trapped butterfly is symbolic of the position of women in Chinese history. With life often limited by rules and restrictions freedom for women was a rare commodity. They were in a way just like the butterfly: beautiful but ultimately fragile. Some of Xu Bin’s paintings also contain an element of subtle humour within them. For example, in one piece a turtle is surrounded by a range of rocks. The humorous expression on the turtle’s face is one of confusion of how to escape the rocks, as there is no passageway. Obviously, this can also have symbolic meaning. Xu’s collection also takes inspiration from the black and red colours of traditional Chinese lacquer work. The empty space around the objects and insects plays an important part in the comprehension of the pieces, for it is within this expanse where the imagination of the viewer alights. 反璞归真 徐邠最初学习中国传统工笔画，他细致的具象画技术以精细入微的笔触为特征，而这些笔触又被层层积水积色再次烘衬。徐邠着迷于西方的构成艺术，并将其注入自己的作品。他现有的风格正是这种中国绘画技法和西方审美学相结合的产物。这些画作初见也许给人以似曾相识的感觉，但走近细看，构局的微妙就跃然纸上。 徐邠的画作似乎是某种孤独和安静的具体化，这种孤独和安静在现代超负荷运转的世界中是一种立刻能使人感同身受的安慰和孤独感。他相信水墨画与他自身的性格是一致的。画如其人，徐邠亦是个安静的人，画中昆虫和其他的生物却给予了他的画生命力。 在徐邠近作中出现的昆虫来源于他对少年时代的怀念和学习传统水墨画时沉浸在草虫带来的不可言说的愉悦感。其中蝴蝶以很高的频率出现在他的新画中，它们时常受困在笼中或是藏于帘后。被困的蝴蝶是中国旧时女子地位的象征。她们的一生常常受制于礼数教条，自由遥不可及。在某些方面恰似蝴蝶，美而脆弱。 一些微妙的幽默也潜藏于徐邠的画作。例如一幅作品中一只乌龟被一列岩石包围，因为本无出口，乌龟的脸上带着困惑的幽默表情。在这里，象征性的内含不言而喻。 徐邠的这一系列中的对于黑色和红色运用的灵感来源于中国古代传统的漆器。主体周围的留白及昆虫的出现对于作品的理解有着非常重要的作用，他们给了观者广阔的想象空间。