{"id":361496,"date":"2025-05-11T09:20:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T01:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/?p=361496"},"modified":"2025-05-11T09:20:13","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T01:20:13","slug":"between-light-and-shadow-a-journey-through-oil-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/between-light-and-shadow-a-journey-through-oil-paintings\/","title":{"rendered":"Entre ombre et lumi\u00e8re : un voyage \u00e0 travers les peintures \u00e0 l'huile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last month, I visited the AAC Special Exhibition at Artron Art Center. Initially, I went just to see works by my favorite artists, Xiao Dong and Yu Hong. But to my surprise, the small exhibition space also housed several deeply memorable pieces \u2014 like Xin Dongwang\u2019s Melting Winter<\/em> and Xu Weixin\u2019s Miner Li Guoqing<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AAC Special Exhibition \u2014 Melting Winter<\/em> (left) & Miner Li Guoqing<\/em> (right)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recently heard that another exhibition featuring well-known oil painters opened at Sea World Art Center. I visited yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see another miner-themed work by Xu Weixin \u2014 part of the same series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition is titled A Life of Gratitude<\/em>, and it\u2019s one of the richer, more diverse shows I\u2019ve seen recently. Definitely worth a visit. The only downside was the lighting setup \u2014 there were multiple areas with glare, and some darker-toned paintings were hung too close to large windows, which seemed a bit careless. The limited gallery space also made the paintings feel cramped. Larger works didn\u2019t have enough room to be properly appreciated, which was unfortunate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Xu Weixin\u2019s Miner<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the entrance, two highly eye-catching portraits by Li Guijun drew immediate attention. His style is known for realism, and his paintings have an ultra-clean, brightly lit look with subtle color combinations. But perhaps because they are too<\/em> perfect, they begin to lose a sense of reality \u2014 they almost feel like retouched photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Li Guijun \u2014 Reality and Illusion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Li Guijun \u2014 Chen Xiang (Agarwood)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now let\u2019s look at two very different works \u2014 full of story and emotional resonance. These are pieces I loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En Dreaming in the Cauliflower Field<\/em>, the intensity of light conveys a scorching heat. The upright sunflowers only heighten the sense of summer\u2019s blaze. And in the shade, a figure sleeps soundly \u2014 creating a rare moment of movement and sound within a still painting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Xu Xiaodong \u2014 Dreaming in the Cauliflower Field<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The One Who Waits<\/em> shifts instantly from bright tones to muted, grayish hues. The drifting smoke suggests a breeze passing beneath a bridge. The dated military-green jacket and old-fashioned glasses create a sense of time dislocation. Was this painted in the past or in the present? Either way, the tension between the vacant gaze of the subject and the title The One Who Waits<\/em> is powerful \u2014 an ambiguity that reminded me of something Xiao Dong once said: \u201cThere are no \u2018minor characters\u2019 in my paintings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe art is not only about creation but also about reflection and revelation. Artists have a responsibility to respond to their times and society. Just as Picasso expanded the possibilities of painting through abstraction, I think classical realism is equally important \u2014 because it makes art accessible and emotionally engaging. And that emotional impact is one of the most effective ways to shake off numbness. It brings us into contact with neglected histories or alternative lives, reawakening our sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artists use their sharp perception and expressive power to capture change \u2014 and within that change, they reveal something timeless. That\u2019s where the vitality and charm of art lies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Xu Xiaodong \u2014 The One Who Waits<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we first look at a painting \u2014 knowing nothing about it \u2014 our eyes tell us what beauty is. Beauty is harmony, especially in color. For instance, in the following two works by Chen Yanning: in New Year\u2019s Day<\/em>, large blocks of festive red are paired with black trim, vibrant but not tacky. In Peacock Fan<\/em>, deep blacks are balanced with white and gold accents, and a peacock green fan adds the perfect touch of elegance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chen Yanning \u2014 New Year\u2019s Day<\/em> et Peacock Fan<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now let\u2019s appreciate a few richly colored pieces. In A Distant Place<\/em> by Zhan Jianjun, we see a warm, gentle transition across one color family \u2014 from golden wheat to orange, red, and brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Zhan Jianjun \u2014 A Distant Place<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

En Green Symphony<\/em> by Zhong Genglue, vibrant greens dominate the canvas with stark light and shadow contrasts. The young, unripened bananas emphasize firmness and freshness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Zhong Genglue \u2014 Green Symphony<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

White Notes<\/em>, also by Zhong Genglue, features a strong foreground of blooming white flowers full of life. The middle and distant grounds \u2014 a serene lake and soft mountains \u2014 bring a sense of calm. The balance of movement and stillness makes the whole piece feel alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Zhong Genglue \u2014 White Notes<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Painting is the art of light and shadow. The delicate transitions between light and dark reveal a painter\u2019s skill and control. To recreate both the visual world and our understanding of it \u2014 that is a lifelong pursuit for any artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light and shadow are the bones, the posture, the gaze, the spirit of painting. Just as there are ten thousand readers for Hamlet, there are ten thousand ways to interpret a single painting. Each perspective adds a layer to the narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"peinture<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Springtime<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last month, I visited the AAC Special Exhibition at Artron Art Center. Initially, I went just to see works by my favorite artists, Xiao Dong and Yu Hong. But to my surprise, the small exhibition space also housed several deeply memorable pieces \u2014 like Xin Dongwang\u2019s Melting Winter and Xu Weixin\u2019s Miner Li Guoqing. AAC […]\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":361497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-361496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dafen-oil-painting-village"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=361496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=361496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=361496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dafennet.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=361496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}