Anscheinend schön

Heng Li

Nov 24, 2018 ~ Dec 22

Unconsciously, my paintings have circled around the same topic for ten years.

Giorgio Morandi, whose artistic life is covered by duplicate themes, fascinates me. Repetition is a powerful tool in itself as it refers to a very slow process that one has to experience, during which time, structure, reflection and emotion are all represented.

The question which I have been asked most frequently over the course of the past ten years is: Why do I keep painting grass?

Mark Rothko illustrates what is desperation by merely several layers in bright colors. He tells us a tragedy without any narrative element on his canvas. Similarly, my first painting of grass was created during the most painful period in my life. By contrast to Rothko, I prefer to use dark colors for the whole piece and flourish it with precise and complicated strokes, which gives the picture the beauty of vitality but also twists and loneliness.

I draw more than just grass.

The repeated specific topic of grass finally traces to the view of my inside world. One day, I came to understand the common destiny of all creatures on earth, including myself, through my sadness. Those helpless and inevitable pains in life become so sublime, beautiful and poignant that they cannot be summarized using words. When I look back on the rearranged pictures, I see that there were determination and energy which transcend the twists and the loneliness. That is light from a distance.

That is hope.

Heng Li