Pop Up: Maison le Cercle: Rosewood
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Large blocks of primary colours collide across the canvas, creating tension from their
fusion, their lines and colours merging into a blur as an antidote to the bold pigment.
The varying forms of the colour blocks reflect Li’s analysis of our hectic, ever-changing, 21st Century lives.
Albert Irvin’s use of vivid colours and linear structures can be seen through ‘Untitled’, one of the more recent artworks within his artistic ouvre. Having been influenced largely by the distinctive style of various ‘St Ives’ artists, including Sir Terry Frost and Peter Lanyon, Irvin uses still life and landscape motifs extensively as inspiration for his artwork. The dynamic brushstrokes and flamboyant colours seen in ‘Untitled’ give depth to the piece.
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The striking contrast between the bold use of colour in this artwork, alongside the compelling monochrome brushstrokes, reflects Li’s contemplation of the world that seems to be evolving everyday whilst the beauty of nature remains unchanged. The artist invites us to question the relationship between the ever-changing chaotic city life and tranquility of Chinese ink art. Li Lei utilises colour to illustrate the conflict that he feels between his innermost self and the 21st century society.
The hybridization of Chinese culture and philosophy, together with Western abstract
visual art, is portrayed throughout Li Lei’s works. In Yangyun-1, the depth of the artist's inner connection with Chinese traditional ink art is illustrated through the free flowing and unconstrained brushwork, and in different tones of black and white. His work not only embodies the aesthetics of Chinese landscapes but also uses them metaphorically to depict the beauty of nature in the 21st century. As Li Lei puts it himself, his paintings are ‘landscapes of the heart’.
