Past Exhibition

Wang Mengsha: Whispering Blossoms

13 Dec - 16 Mar  |  2023 -2024
Wang Mengsha
Introduction
Alisan Fine Arts is excited to present an exhibition of Wang Mengsha, an artist who gracefully navigates through the realms of traditional and contemporary art, where the ancient ‘xieyi’ style of painting is reborn through her innovative approach. She harmoniously blends aspects of traditional paintings of daily objects, court maidens and natural elements, all while employing a sense of humour and a vibrant palette that reminds viewers of the natural sceneries in the south-eastern part of China.

Wang’s paintings, often imbued with bold and striking colours, offers a visual feast that is both aesthetically pure and symbolically profound. Her use of a scatter-point perspective, a method from traditional Chinese painting, allows a stream-of-consciousness narrative to unfold across her works, providing a non-linear, fluid exploration of thoughts and emotions, as opposed to the logical and rigid perspective stressed by Western aesthetics. Exaggerating on this traditional method, as in her work, A Glimmer of Distant Fragrance, Wang creates a lying-on-one-side maiden, outsized butterflies or still objects, in order to invite us to step into a world where childhood dreams are not forgotten whispers but vivid realities that dance jovially on her creations.

Wang’s art does not merely depict scenes; it encapsulates emotions, memories, and a subtle yet poignant commentary on the dichotomy of our world. Wang paints not with a heavy hand, but with a lightness that belies the depth and complexity of her work. Her creations are a gentle rebellion against the heaviness of the adult world, a world where responsibilities often overshadow dreams, and pragmatism dims the vibrant colours of imagination and wonder: for example, in her artwork Shadow of the Flowers, Wang juxtaposes a child-like tiger, signifying dangers, against various auspicious elements, such as a pair of giant blue birds, oversized roses, as well as court maidens, to name a few.

Conversation with artist Wang Mengsha
"Beyond Borders: The Power of Ink Painting in a Global Context"
31 January 2024, Wednesday, 6:00pm-7:00pm
Talk will be in English and Chinese
Kindly RSVP
Also live-streamed on Instagram @alisanfinearts

In celebration of our current exhibition Wang Mengsha: Whispering Blossoms, we are happy to present an artist talk, titled Beyond Borders: The Power of Ink Painting in a Global Context, where the artist, Wang Mengsha, will be in conversation with Elaine W. Ng, the editor and publisher of ArtAsiaPacific, to discuss her artistic practice, how her artworks bridge the East and the world, and how ink painting situates in a global context.