This essay, written by Dr. Jérôme Neutres, the curator of Ma Desheng's 2022 solo exhibition at the Centre Pompidou, serves as the preface for the upcoming exhibition "Woman - Ma Desheng Solo Exhibition" at London's 3812 Gallery. This article was first published in the catalogue of the "Woman - Ma Desheng Solo Exhibition," which was held at 3812 Gallery London from 15 October to 15 November 2025.
In the art of Ma Desheng, Woman is somewhat synonymous with painting: it is both the object and the subject of art. The female figure recurs throughout all periods and styles of Ma Desheng's work, as this exhibition clearly demonstrates, bringing together around thirty diverse pieces that span the artist's career from 1979 to 2024. Wood engravings from the late 1970s, ink on paper from the 1980s, drawings from the 1990s, acrylic paintings from the 2000s: “Woman” is at the heart of all the mediums explored by Ma Desheng. This makes the exhibition a true mini-retrospective of the artist, viewed through the prism of the (tutelary) figure of the woman.
Ma Desheng at his solo exhibition in Centre Pompidou in 2022
Sketched or precisely drawn, petrified or dancing, lively or languorous, in motion or frozen, ghostly or present, almost figurative or overtly abstract, mineral or corporeal, in black and white or in colour: the female figure in Ma Desheng’s work always occupies the entirety of the canvas. As if she were the “raison d’être” and the destination of the work. A metaphor or a fantasy, voluptuous but without a face, this woman seems to have become more universal, almost mythological, over the years.
Initiated in China and then developed in France, the country in which the artist chose to live and work from the late 1980s, Ma Desheng's oeuvre is by essence a meeting of two cultures. It is endowed with a certain universality which is perfectly embodied by the “women” in Ma Desheng’s paintings.
On-site photos of Ma Desheng solo exhibition in Centre Pompidou in 2022 with a selected woman-themed ink paintings on show.
This exhibition in London comes at a pivotal moment in Ma Desheng's career, as his work has gained new visibility in the most prestigious venues of contemporary art. The Centre Pompidou, which currently holds nearly eighty works by Ma Desheng in the collections of the National Museum of Modern Art, dedicated a beautiful monographic exhibition to the artist in 2022, The show took place on its prestigious fourth floor, home to many universal masterpieces. For the occasion, the artist was honoured by the French Republic for his significant contribution to art.
Female form ink paintings, created in Ma Desheng’s early years, are showcased in his Pompidou solo exhibition.
Before the exhibition’s preview, Ma Desheng also gave a performance on the theme of freedom. That same year, the National Institute of Art History and Sorbonne University jointly presented the first international academic conference dedicated to Ma Desheng, directed by academic Aurore Blanc. It is noteworthy that a young generation of art historians is showing interest in Ma Desheng's work, demonstrating the enduring appeal of his work. In 2025, Ma Desheng was again exhibited at the Centre Pompidou as part of a historical exhibition dedicated to the Stars (Xing Xing) movement, which he co-founded with Huang Rui in 1979 in China. The Stars were the first contemporary Chinese art movement, and it is clear now that it had an immense impact on the development of Chinese art.
One can think that this exhibition in the new London outpost of the 3812 Gallery Hong Kong will pave the way for new developments in Anglo-Saxon museums and in China. The star of Ma Desheng shows no sign of dimming—it will continue to shine bright.
