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Considering Zheng Xuewu

When we see an exhibition or read a bit of art history, there are two dominant responses in getting to know an artist. One is “love at first sight,” in which we fall in love quickly with a work or body of work; it is easy for us to understand and communicate with these types of artists. This is the usual case in art appreciation, and we do not need so many words on this. In the other case, we see some work but do not, perhaps even cannot understand it. But if we pick up some basic principles of art history and something of their creator’s experience, work and life, we may find ourselves falling in love with this work despite our initial reaction.

Many had the same kind of first encounter with Vincent Van Gogh. As artists, when we first learned how to paint, what we touched were classicism and realism, but we had difficulties in understanding Van Gogh. However, the book and movie Lust for Life helped us learn more about him; afterward, we not only admired him but fell in love with him.

Much modernist and post-modernist work strikes us like this. You don’t rely on your instinct, but more on rational analyses.

So introducing the works of Zheng Xueyu has always been a difficult thing for me. I want to find some point to elaborate on, but it is hard to define and categorize Zheng. He is an artist very much endowed with a human touch. His works speak for themselves.

Zheng has simple experience. He was born in Northeast China in 1960s, and majored in designing when he was in college. He came to Beijing in early 1990s, and luckily, the Red Gate Gallery began to represent him; he was able to support himself with his works. He attended many exhibitions at home and abroad, including the Pearls and Pens exhibition created by Li Xianting in 2003.

Zheng impresses me as an active figure. He was the organizer and curator of many events and exhibitions. He took part in the organizing activity in exhibitions at the Suojiacun Art Zone.

His works include oil and acrylic paintings, engravings, installations and performances, although he made a reputation with his engravings in his early years. Yet, we can hardly call them engravings, since they are not reproduced. We can call them “limited engravings.” He used movable-type printing skills of ancient Chinese times, combining patterns and words casually in his works. Therefore, his works bear a strong Chinese flavour.

Take a look at his recent oil paintings, which are totally different. He deletes stones, mountains, clouds, trees, and waters from Chinese wash-and-ink paintings, and uses grey, white and black to give an oriental feeling of peace and tranquillity.

Zheng’s installations are also special. He chooses Chinese folk art. One of his works is a cloth tiger in a very large size, but in a cage.

Sometimes he “plays” with art. Once, he organized ten artists to perform an exhibition on “eating.” Every artist prepared some food and ate it in the gallery, which is seen as a dining hall.

So how to we place Zheng? In all, as an artist, he avoids the mainstream at his will, but he knows to keep pace with society and makes progress. At the same time, he casts a cold eye and grins at this art world and its changes. Yet, he does not isolate himself from other Chinese artists.

His works have solid ground based in Chinese culture, and have progressed in their own way, but he adds some personal language. He is not in a hurry to profit. He is a person who will use his whole life to develop his career. Walk your own path and let the others talk. Whether your work is good or not, leave that to history.