Online Exhibition “Paradise Lost” – Dong He
Solo Exhibition of Dong He 董鹤
This is an online exhibition on our page at Artsy. Works are available for collection.
Exhibition Period: 28 Oct – 28 Dec 2023.
“Paradise Lost” showcases the recent works of the artist Dong He. This collection is comprised of a series of large-scale canvas oil paintings, each measuring around two meters. The majority of these works are set against the backdrop of dense forests, evoking a sense of primordial Edenic tranquility and serenity, filled with hope. Yet, they also evoke a profound sense of unease, as if this scene represents humanity’s last memory on the eve of an impending doomsday. These works strive to delineate the delicate interplay between life, pain, beauty, death, and rebirth. Viewers are invited to reflect upon and experience the emotions and memories that lie dormant deep within our hearts. Through his artwork, it seems as if we can rediscover and perceive the paradise lost to humanity, reawakening our respect for life and contemplation of existence.
Dong He’s art is a form of unconscious painting, where brushstrokes, whether deep or shallow, seem to wander aimlessly as if in water, devoid of a clear objective. Lush vegetation, flower-like images that seem to symbolize the pain and beauty of life, the growth and decay of plants, and fleeting memories of flowers in bloom and decline. They express a longing to grasp something elusive, the blurred lines between reality and dreams, and perhaps even the cycle of life. The red is so vivid, exuding the natural splendor of life, pulsating with vitality and emotions akin to flowing blood. It conveys both scars and allure, as well as the concept of vanishing and being reborn. The layering of brushstrokes and the richly layered colors create a canvas that is both gentle and vigorous.
Born in 1982 in Liaoyang, Liaoning Province, Dong He graduated from the Oil Painting Department of the Central University for Nationalities. He currently resides and works in Beijing. He has won prizes such as the Jin Yuxi Award for Emerging Chinese Artists and the 20th Republic of Korea New Style Art Award. In 2018, he was invited to participate in the Oooit Art international residency project in the Netherlands.