News

March 15  – April 15,  2017

Academic Support: Jonathan Goodman
Curator: Lily Zhang Candler

Contemporary Art and Editions is pleased to announce “Formation & Movement”, an exhibition of ink paintings by Chinese artists Qiu Zhenzhong and Shen Jinbo at Contemporary Art and Editions. The show features 32 ink paintings, including two series works by master calligraphist Qiu Zhengzhong, “Shan Haijing” and “Statues” (which were part of his solo exhibition at National Art Museum of China in 2015), and the “World Series” and “Seasons Series” by the young promising ink artist, Shen Jinbo.

Qiu Zhenzhong, born in 1947 in Jinagxi, Nanchang, China, is considered the most important experimental calligrapher in contemporary China. He is a professor and doctorial tutor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He received his MFA from Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now the China Academy of Fine Arts) in 1981. In 2008, he served as the ink painting counselor for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Before that, he taught in the Japanese Ministry of Education (Japan), Zhejing Academy of Fine Arts (China) and Japan’s National Nara University of Education. His work has been featured in the National Art Museum of China, Zhejing Art Museum, Jiangsu Art Museum, Jiangxi Art Museum, Guangdong Art Museum, Shanghai Museum (China) and Pearl Lam Gallery (Hong Kong), as well as the Museum of Modern Art (Berlin, Germany), Ueno Museum (Tokyo, Japan), San Francisco Chinese Culture Center (USA), Royal Museum of Fine Arts (Brussels, Belgium), and other museums around the world. In the 1980’s, Qiu was regarded as one of the four chief architects in contemporary Chinese writing art, together with Xu Bing, Gu Wenda, and Wu Shan. He currently lives and works in Beijing.

Shen Jinbo was born in 1978 in Xinyang, Henan, China, and lives and works in Bejing. He completed his academic training in the Oil Painting Department of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2010. He studied ink art from a very young age and his work has been featured in group and solo exhibitions in the 798 Art District, Beijing, and at the Henan Art Center, Zheng Zhou (China). His work is included in collections of private ink art collectors in China. Shen’s art holds a place of academic importance in the development of ink art that is highly recognized by Dao Zi, an Art Critic and Professor from Tsiinghua Univeristy and Zhang Xiaoling, Art Critic and Professor from China National Academy of Painting.

For further information please contact us at contemporaryartandeditions@gmail.com or at 917-702-1039. All images are subject to copyright. Gallery approval must be granted prior to reproduction.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 6-10 PM, on the occasion of the opening event for AFRO.

The model and performer Lumane Luma, better known simply as LUMA, will be spontaneously creating a performance (approximately 30-40 minutes) to accompany an editioned work by Mickalene Thomas. Luma’s guiding principle in much of her work is to depict the modern Afriican-American woman as she behaves naturally in ordinary activities yet, in this case, within a backdrop of some visual excess. Before and following her performance, Luma will be simply attending the event as a guest.

At 8 PM, move to the sounds of DJ Kevin Galaxy. Galaxy is deeply involved in the contemporary art world both as an artist and an educator. Plus his turntable skills are fly.

Video clips from the event:

February 1- March 5, 2017

Opening Reception,  Feb. 15, 6-10pm

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Featuring an installation/performance by Lumane Luma » more info

David LaChapelle, Ralph Gibson, Kehinde Wiley, Ed Paschke, Sono Arima, Paul Aresu, Mickalene Thomas, Jeffrey Spencer Hargrave, Chi Modu, Shepard Fairey, Seydou Keita, Brian Ashley White, Helen Stummer, Ivan Wittenstein, Fiorentina DeBiasi, Barbara Beirne, Conrad Botes, Andre Cypriano, Arturo Toulenov, Greg Smith.

Contemporary Art and Editions presents AFRO, an eclectic mix of works from outsider and street art to more well known artists of this generation. Almost all of the works in the show are from the personal collection of the gallerist Greg Smith and at one included work, “In Memory Amadou Diallo”, which has been exhibited by the New Museum, was created by him.

Political themes of the struggle for freedom and freedom of expression are central to any exhibition celebrating African-­‐American history. But there is very little in this show to evoke sadness. The collection tends to focus on positivity in lives already achieved and taken for granted in our culture. Thus we see Regina Carter gracefully embracing her cherished violin, Tupac Shakur the singularly talented poet as viewed though the eye of Tina DeBiasi, Michael Jordan rendered in a neoclassical profile amid the acid color energy of Ed Paschke, American cultural icons on the left and right in sparkling portraits of Michelle Obama, Condoleeza Rice and Oprah Winfrey by Mickalene Thomas, and exuberant renditions of Matisse classics inhabited by wild black beauty avatars in paintings by Jeffrey Spencer Hargrave. An addition to the show is the availability of a beautiful book by the famous photographer Chi Modu. A special closing party event is planned for the first week in March for an in-­‐person signing of Chi’s classic coffee table photographic essay UNCATEGORIZED.

Yet also present are a few works that speak to a darker history or contemporary human experience including “Sonny” a 1989 portrait by the street artist Gunther Temech, a small group of works by the South African artist Conrad Botes and some touching, bittersweet pieces by Shepard Fairey, Andre Cypriano and Barbara Beirne. Wide ranging in mood, technique and sentiment, each of the 20 artists contained in this show have their own voice, be it soft or be it loud.

For further information, directions, and images, contact the gallery at Contemporaryartandeditions.com or call Greg Smith at (212) 343-­0230