EXHIBITED:

In the view, The International Seminar and Art Exhibition Project Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University, Bankok, 2006, August 23 - September 15, 2006

ILLUSTRATED:

In the view, The International Seminar and Art Exhibition Project Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University, Bankok, 2006, color illustrated, p. 82

Zeng Fanzhi's "Sky Series - Distant View" is a superb example from his classic 'Sky Series', which he painted from 2004, embodying his universal themes of angst, uneasiness and bewilderment in a chaotic and unyielding world. His 'Sky Series' however, offers much more in the way of light, hope and even personal contentment and redemption. The most inward looking of contemporary Chinese artists Zeng's works have always been a deep exploration of his inner psyche and the fears and terrors encountered there. Deeply influenced by European expressionists especially Robert Rauschenberg and Edvard Munch, Zeng has definitively broken the mold of Chinese realism and representational art, letting the painful innermost workings of his mind pour out on his canvases. Obsessed with the individual, his fears and anxieties in an alienating society, and the masks he wears to cover up his terrors, in the 'Sky Series' Zeng suggests that some form of inner quietness and calmness even contentment may be achieved.

In "Sky Series - Distant View" Zeng depicts two young men standing side by side on a hill. Gazing far off into the distance, in typical Zeng style, they stand together on a hill. And although standing side by side, they seem aloof and disjointed from one another, lost in their thoughts as they stare far away into nowhere. Zeng is a master at representing the inner turmoil and perplexities faced by young Chinese in a modern society that is so fast moving and ever changing. The two apparently sophisticated and suave urbanites with the puzzled and strained expressions on their faces, articulate the fundamental isolation and bafflement, which results from an internal lack of knowledge of who they really are. Their large fleshy hands almost raw in their rendering, and a constant symbol in Zeng's work, represent the rawness and fragility of their inner psyche.

As an expressionist all parts of Zeng's canvas have meaning and profundity. The two figures stand on a dark hill surrounded by long and strong grasses. Colors are also very important in Zeng's expressionistic artwork. The dark hues of the hill are representational of the dark workings going on deep in the mind. The dark and somber grasses are evocative of the anxious, angst-ridden thoughts running through the mind. In "Sky Series - Distant View", the somber hill and chaotic grasses take up no more than a quarter of the canvas and instead the dominant background is a powerful blue and white sky. Throughout his oeuvre Zeng employs dark shades of every color, dark blues, dark greens, dark grays. The sudden juxtaposition of the two figures against such a light colored sky brings an unexpected realm of hope to their world. As they stoically and steadfastly face into a strong wind, they also appear to be psychologically strong enough to face their demons and stand resolute in the face of any storm a bewildering world can throw at them. The bright red, white and blue of their clothing and their blown back hair also add an optimism missing from Zeng's earlier series of works.

Zeng stands out in many ways from his peers in contemporary Chinese art, displaying an uncommon maturity both in terms of expression and technique. Primarily concerned with the inner world, his body of work reflects his deep psychological unease and search for meaning in a bewildering new world. While his contemporaries mostly focused on political and social issues in a newly open and emerging China, Zeng from the beginning of his career focused on the alienation and detachment of the individual in a frightening new environment. Zeng is not just unique in his themes, he has also been an experimental technician in painting methods and particularly in the great Chinese tradition of brush strokes and use of space. Both his universal theme of the pain of alienation and detachment and his masterful use of the paintbrush have brought him worldwide recognition and made him one of the most important of Chinese contemporary artists.

Zeng Fanzhi was born in Wuhan in Hubei Province in 1964. As a child, he was introverted and was deeply affected by the chaos and irrationality in the society of his youth. His psyche was deeply traumatized by what it observed and art was the only outlet for his inner turmoil. He was immediately attracted to German Expressionism at the Hubei Academy of Fine Arts, and his studies were to have a life-long influence on his works and techniques. Wild strokes, fleshy colors and brooding expressions were to become part of his hallmarks and were to allow him to express his angst and alienation in apocalyptic imagery and colors. However, such introspection and expressionistic tendencies found little acceptance in his native Wuhan and so in 1994 Zeng moved to Beijing. Here, he suffered the full trauma of alienation and disconnection.

Zeng's body of work is a detailed expression of his psychological state at each period in his life. Unlike most of his contemporaries who are happy to stick with winning formulas in their artwork, Zeng has consistently introduced new series of works, and pushed the boundaries of his artistic style to constantly create new and arresting expressions of his inner-state. While still in Wuhan, he produced his first two series of works "Hospital" and "Meat" both of which were directly influenced by horrifying early experiences for the young introvert. In the 1960's most homes in China didn't have a bathroom. The young Zeng had to use the one in the local hospital. His sensitivities were traumatized by the chaotic scenes he witnessed there on a daily basis. His resulting "Hospital" series typically depicts uncaring doctors and terrified patients. "Meat", his second series, results from his experience of passing by his local butchers on his way to and from school everyday. In the heat of summer, the only way for the workers to cool down was to lie on the frozen carcasses which resulted in them being covered in blood. For the highly sensitive Zeng, this was deeply disturbing.

On moving to Beijing Zeng was hoping to find acceptance and understanding of his art. Instead he found himself isolated and cut off from the mainstream. Faced with loneliness, detachment and alienation, he produced his "Mask" series for which he has become most famous. The face of each of his protagonists is hidden by a flat mask which sublimates all expression and feeling. Well-dressed, professional, young urbanites mask their true inner selves subjugating their feelings and emotions, and negating their lives. After the "Mask" series, Zeng started to move to more abstract forms. In 2000, he began to depict figures without masks. These figures may have regressed even more than his masked characters as their vacant and expressionless eyes are empty and hauntingly portray the loneliness and isolation of the individual. As in all Zeng's works the depicted persons have very large hands in strong poses seemingly emphasizing that although we can hide our inner most feelings most carefully behind an expressionless face our agitated hands will always betray our true inner turmoil.

The "Portrait" series also marks a deeper connection for Zeng with traditional Chinese painting techniques. Combining expressionism with the abstractness of traditional Chinese water and ink painting, The figures often float suspended in an empty background while any details are portrayed in a very minimalist way, allowing Zeng to emphasize the isolation and detachment of his character. This very forceful effect is taken directly from traditional Chinese paintings. Zeng's brush strokes are also strongly influenced by traditional Chinese water and ink brush strokes. Large single strokes with wide brushes create an abstract feeling while narrow brush strokes are used to create strong, emphatic lines reminiscent of Chinese calligraphy.

In 2004, Zeng began to produce landscapes, and figures isolated in landscapes from which "Sky Series - Distant View" comes. As Zeng has grown and matured as a person, his works reflect this inner journey and psychological state. His, "Sky series" brings new light and hope to an otherwise chaotic, challenging, and disturbing world.