2019: Welcoming the Dawn of Art - Preliminary Appreciation for the Sheng Pao Treasure January Exhibition

Light leads the way
Gazelle
Winter afternoon
Find a good raincoat
Kyoto Five-Storied Pagoda
Candlestick
Lover
Dancing Differences 

Starting last autumn, the exhibition titles at The Treasure Hill Gallery of "Xiang Hua Tian - New Art Realm" have become poetic. Bao Sheng Gallery Manager, Tong Sheng-he, shared that these poetic exhibition names come from the works of eight participating international artists. The sense of magic created by words that seem unrelated is the feeling the curators want to bring to viewers each time.

In January 2019, Taipei's Bausen Gallery selected many small pieces, all excelling in both style and brushwork. These artists have a popular record of selling out their works when exhibiting at the Taipei Art Fair.

If you'd like to come for a preview listen? No problem! Now, let's take a tour with Manager Tong Sheng!

Alex Bertaina (Italy)

Artist Alex Bertaina, who is not from an academic background, showed his talent from a young age. People who enjoy taking photos outdoors will notice that the lighting changes if you take a picture of the same scene five minutes apart. In the artwork "Light Leads," we can see this waterfront town at every moment, from dawn, to daytime, to afternoon, and as the sun sets.

Alex Bertaina is like a magician, using this technique of light segmentation to illusionistically meld a whole day's beautiful scenery into a single image.

Another focal point is the "frame," where artist Alex Bertaina incorporates frames as part of his creations. This creativity makes it suitable for any wall color, and adding bright colors will make the space more vibrant.

Thibault Jandot (France)

French artist Thibault Jandot started out with street graffiti, but at his core, he's a fan of classical art. These two seemingly disparate styles create a beautiful chemical reaction. The rough, free-flowing brushstrokes of street art and the detailed, delicate portrayal of traditional art perfectly capture the wild beauty and spirituality of animals.

Manager Tong Shenghe specifically mentioned that Thibault Jandot first paints the subject in an almost wild manner, freely (but precisely) layering animal forms, and then uses white paint to cut away excess parts of the background, simplifying the image and making it striking. This approach of moving from complexity to simplicity, while traditional, is quite interesting, and we are sharing the creative video with readers.

Olaf Ulbricht (Germany)

Artist Olaf Ulbricht's painting subjects stem from his travels and long-term experiences living in the German countryside. He says he never goes to the cinema because those fictional, lengthy movies often put him to sleep. In the landscape paintings he creates, the figures are mostly people he knows from his surroundings.

The German Lantern Festival is celebrated on November 11th every year. From couples holding hands and embracing to neighbors waving hello, artist Olaf Ulbricht captures the lively atmosphere of the Lantern Festival beyond the canvas through vivid details of human interaction, titled "End of Late Summer."

Artist Olaf Ulbricht's charming miniatures like this, with their warm atmosphere, are perfect for living rooms and bedrooms that exude a harmonious ambiance. Looking again at "Spring Cleaning," you'll notice that even though the setting is rural, the women feeding animals and hanging laundry are still wearing dresses and high heels, looking just as "fashionable"! This is a common thread in the appealing nature of his works.

Michal Straska (Slovakia)

The artwork's title is quite humorous. The artist Michael Straska's specialty in this series is that when you think it's a photograph, you discover it's a pencil sketch; when you think it's a Slovak landscape, you discover...

Yes, this is Taiwan! In 2017, when artist Michal Straska came to Taipei for an exhibition, he began his Taiwanese journey. He observed many ordinary things that Taiwanese people often overlook, and he painted the beauty of everyday life.

Kazuo Hasegawa (Japan)

Manager Tong Shenghe described artist Kazuo Hasegawa's works as "warm," realistic yet more expressive, bearing the traces of local life. While appreciating the works, the columnist also felt the chill air inhaled into their nostrils and the dampness of rain hitting umbrellas, as if they were on a Kyoto street looking at the distant five-storied pagoda. "Snow at Kiyomizu-dera" features two stunning pieces, so beautiful they are beyond words, with the artist's brush conveying what language cannot. In other works, artist Kazuo Hasegawa also powerfully depicts the postures of Kyoto dancers. We'll keep you in suspense--come see for yourself!

Igor Grechanyk (Ukraine)

The adjectives "elegant" and "mysterious" can be equated with the artist Igor Grechanyk, who frequently uses ancient mythological tragic figures as subjects for his sculptures. Igor Grechanyk once said, "Becoming an artist was my destiny. Because I can always perceive the expansion of the human inner world and discover paths to new dimensions, shaping them into three-dimensional sculptural works."

The values that human civilization yearns for are also what make his sculptures so captivating. Today, he is a member of the Ukrainian National Union of Artists and an internationally renowned artist who has participated in numerous international exhibitions.

Artist Igor Grechanyk's contextual photo sent to Baosheng Gallery, "Candlestick," is not an abstract title; a real candle can indeed be lit!

Morozov Arkady (Russia)

"This is an artist I like a lot, a lot, a lot," Tong Sheng and his manager said "a lot" three times, not just because of the creative techniques, but even deeper because of the artist's soul and spirit.

Because this artist, born in 1950, completed all of their printmaking works with one arm, they insisted on carving all the lines themselves, even with assistants. Each color in printmaking requires a separate plate. In the work "Lovers," the lines are rendered with such precise calculation, layered without becoming cluttered, which requires accumulated experience.

Morozov Arkady's prints often feature ancient hieroglyphic symbols, and his style incorporates philosophical elements, giving them considerable depth.

Adriana Villagra (Paraguay)

This Paraguayan female artist, who excels at creating symbolic meanings with objects, is full of positive energy.

Adriana Villagra once shared that her work is symbolic realism. She believes that behind what the eye can see lies a spiritual world where the most sublime beauty can be found. The imagery in her works and their titles mirror each other, possessing a bright aspect.

For example, in "Dance of the Iron Orchid," the iron orchid is a very resilient plant, and the artist depicts it in a difficult environment. However, the sunlight breaking through the clouds tells us that the world is still full of hope, and it will continue to flourish. This is also the story the artist conveys through symbolism.

If after reading this, you feel the artwork is simply stunning, oh, believe me! You'll be even more excited to see every piece in person at the exhibition! The exhibition runs from January 1st to January 30th. We welcome you to collect and appreciate art at Taipei Bao Sheng Gallery, located in the Minsheng Community!

Exhibition Information

On display:
Olaf Ulbricht (Germany)
Alex Bertaina (Italy)
Thibault Jandot (France)
Kazuo Hasegawa (Japan)
Michal Straska (Slovakia)
Morozov Arkady (Russia)
Igor Grechanyk (Ukraine)
Adriana Villagra (Paraguay)