Blue and Violet:
The Dialogue of Time
Zhang Xiaoming's Solo Exhibition
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Blue and Violet:
The Dialogue of Time
Artist: Zhang Xiaoming
Curator: Xu Ziyan
Producers:
Guo Jianguang
Shen Shufan
Opening: July. 2, 14:15
July. 2 – Sept. 21, 2025
10:30—17:30, Open Tuesday to Friday
LIAN Gallery, 5F, Xiwenleji, Building 6, Riyao City,
Asian Games Village, Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou
Deep blue, calm as water, carries the sedimentation of time; mysterious purple, light as dreams, floats at the edge of memory. Zhang Xiaoming's works are not mere reproductions of scenery, but a profound contemplation of time. His West Lake night scenes, rendered in blue, capture the subtle interplay of light and shadow upon the water, transforming the night into poetry; his floral still lifes, constructed in purple, map the veins of life, imbuing stillness with vitality. These two colors intertwine on his canvas, forming a visual philosophy—deep, romantic, both tranquil and flowing. Through layers of color, time and space interweave, allowing the cultural memory of Hangzhou to emerge within steady brushstrokes. He meticulously depicts light and shadow, yet leaves room for poetic playfulness in his artistic language, enabling the works to evolve with the flow of time.
This exhibition is not merely an overlay of colors, but a philosophy of light—How does light shape time? How do shadows define space? In the contemporary context, light is not just a visual experience, but an emotional guide. The golden radiance of Leifeng Pagoda symbolizes the intertwining of history and modernity; reflections beneath streetlights mirror the city's quiet rhythm; delicate specks of light on a tablecloth are fragments of life, the soft breath of the painting.
As Wallace Stevens wrote in "The Man with the Blue Guitar":
"Things as they are / Are changed upon the blue guitar."
The essence of art lies in transformation, and light is the medium of this transformation. The depth of blue, the poetry of purple, and the rays within the nightscape collectively form an ineffable visual philosophy, where time, space, and memory merge within the play of light and shadow.
—
Curator: Xu Ziyan
Zhang Xiaoming is one of the earliest and most important participants in figurative expression painting in China. Figurative Expression Painting was introduced to China by Situ Li in 1991, and became the academic high point of the China Academy of Art. Figurative expression painting is another kind of painting that originated from the Western painting world. Artists engaged in figurative expression painting do not want to follow the logic of the development of the history of Western modern and contemporary art, but rather inquire about the reality and origin of painting. They use visual observation as an entry point, face things, and approach the reality of art through the intuition of the phenomenon as the essence. After Zhang Xiaoming returned from France in 1991, he participated in the teaching and inheritance of figurative expression painting in the domestic oil painting department, and has never stopped creating and breaking through in the past 30 years, his contribution and diligence in the academic field is of great historical significance.
This time, Lane Art Museum will present a collection of Zhang's figurative paintings over the past 30 years, with blue and purple colours as the core, integrating important works from several stages of his creativity, plus still life and flower works and chromatic powder landscape series, forming the first reappearance of Zhang's paintings after his 30 years' exhibition in 2021 at the Glorious Museum of Fine Arts. The sequence of works is divided into four chapters: ‘Implications’, ‘Superposition’, “Echo”, and ‘Polyphony’. A new chapter: Harmony. Blue and purple as the rhyme, play the melting light and chorus.
This exhibition is not only a cascade of colours, but also a philosophy of light - how does light shape time? How does light and shadow define space? In the contemporary context, light is not only a visual experience, but also an emotional guide. The depth of blue, the poetry of purple, and the light in the night together form an ineffable visual philosophy, allowing time, space and memory to mingle in light and shadow.
ZHANG XIAOMING
Zhang Xiaoming, born in 1957 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, is a professor in the Oil Painting Department of the China Academy of Art. He also serves as a council member of the China Oil Painting Society, a member of the China Artists Association, and the Vice Chairman of the Zhejiang Province Oil Painters Association. He graduated from the Oil Painting Department of the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now the China Academy of Art) in 1984 and stayed on as a faculty member. In 1985, he attended the Zhao Wuji Painting Workshop. Subsequently, he pursued further studies at the École supérieure d'art d'Aix-en-Provence and the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris in France.
Zhang Xiaoming's artworks have been exhibited in numerous domestic and international exhibitions and have received multiple awards. These include the First Prize (the highest award) at the "First Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition," the Award of Excellence at the "Eighth National Fine Arts Exhibition," and the Bronze Award at the "Ninth National Fine Arts Exhibition," among others. In recent years, Zhang Xiaoming has held several significant solo exhibitions in Hangzhou, including Ode to Lakes and Mountains – Zhang Xiaoming Painting Art Exhibition at the GDA Museum. This exhibition featured 102 oil paintings and sketches divided into four chapters: "Imagery," "Superimposition," "Reverberation," and "Polyphony," collectively presenting his unique understanding of Hangzhou's West Lake. His landscape paintings are characterized by a serene, minimalist, and poetic style.
The current exhibition, Realm of Blue and Purple, differs from previous ones. It will present audiences with a fresh perspective on the artistic conception within Zhang Xiaoming's works, focusing specifically on the element of color.
Major Exhibitions & Awards
• Wisemaster Award, China Academy of Art (2018)
This award is the highest honor at the China Academy of Art, recognizing excellence in teaching, artistic research/creation, and exemplary professional ethics.
• Bronze Award, First National Sports Art Exhibition
• First Prize (Highest Award), First Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition
• Award of Excellence (Highest Award), Eighth National Fine Arts Exhibition
• Bronze Award, Ninth National Fine Arts Exhibition
• Award of Excellence (Highest Award), Tenth National Fine Arts Exhibition
• Silver Award, China Art Exhibition Celebrating Macau's Return
• Art Award (Highest Award), Nature and Humanity: The Second Contemporary Chinese Landscape Painting and Oil Painting Scenery Exhibition
• Award of Excellence (Highest Award), National Oil Painting Sketch Exhibition
• Award of Excellence (Highest Award), Visible Poetry: The Second Chinese Oil Painting Sketch Exhibition
• Academic Award (Highest Award), Spirit·Schema: The First Chinese Lyrical Oil Painting Biennale
Art Institutions
National Museum of China, National Art Museum of China, Shanghai Art Museum, Zhejiang Art Museum, Museum of the Communist Party of China History, Macao Museum of Art, Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, CAA Art Museum (China Academy of Art), Beijing Guozijian Oil Painting Art Museum, Hangzhou Guangda Art Museum, Wuxi Phoenix Art Museum, Quzhou Art Museum, Huzhou Art Museum, and some art institutions and collectors in France, Taiwan, Hongkong and the Chinese mainland.
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
CN +86 17758007594
CN +86 13588191984
LOCATIONS
Lan Art Center: No. 2596, Boao Road, Yingfeng Street, Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, Chinia
Heng Museum: Intersection of Lingfeng Street and Xusi Road, Qutang, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
OPENING HOURS
Tuesday-Friday
12pm-6pm
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