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Destiny

Works by Zhou Jin Hua

Vernissage: 7 April 2011,   6:30pm - 8:30pm
Exhibition Continues: 8 April 2011 - 9 May 2011

Main Gallery, 21 - 31 Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong

Schoeni is delighted to present Zhou Jin Hua’s upcoming solo exhibition entitled Destiny in April 2011, marking the artist’s third solo show with our gallery since Spotty Series in 2005 and The Observer in 2007. Born in 1978, Zhou graduated from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 2002 and was one of the finalists of the Sovereign Asian Art Prize in 2007. He is notable for his oeuvre painted from an aerial point of view, often portraying characters in minute scale caught in odd surroundings as the scene vacillates between reality and illusion. His works bring about certain surrealism that is highly conducive to the sensation of unreality created in contrast to the “reality” in the painting. Destiny will feature a collection of Zhou Jin Hua’s latest works that embody a retrospective of the artist’s own destiny, as well as a reflection of the fated problems that exist in the surroundings he lives in.

The topic of forced demolition in China due to its rapid development of urban modernisation has not only prompted numerous news headlines and heated debates, but has also been chosen as the central theme for Zhou Jin Hua’s solo exhibition, Destiny. For Zhou, the word “destiny” encompasses the meaning of fate and luck, which ought to be understood as separate entities. Since 2002, the artist has begun to paint from a bird’s eye view, focusing on issues that deal with the individual and the collective, as well as the value of existence of an individual in society. In choosing forced demolition as the main theme, Zhou Jin Hua does not merely wish to raise the awareness of a social phenomenon, or to pass simple moral judgments against it. In fact, the artist wishes to explore the topic of human nature through an issue that involves political and social relevance. The Scenery of China Series, Involuntary Disposition Series and Evolution Series, portraying the chaotic and destructive scenes of forced demolition, serve as a prelude to the show and causes the viewer to reflect on the notion of power and class struggle, as well as people’s helplessness against violence and force. On the other hand, “destiny” also plays its magical role in such circumstances, as the artist describes, “the issue of ‘demolition’ becomes closely connected with ‘destiny’, some families become rich as a result of it and some families are destroyed by it.”

Following the prelude, Zhou Jin Hua then further echoes his observation of human nature through the Security Guard and Porter Series, Diminutive Series and Brick & Terracotta Series, where he stresses the minuteness of his characters that are sometimes even smaller than cigarette buds or a piece of garbage. The minuteness is a direct metaphor of the insignificant value of existence of the society’s lowest rung. The artist explains, “…and other works in this exhibition were painted on bricks and tiles, the theme of those paintings involves the grassroot level. These people are very much like bricks and tiles in nature and functionality. They are the most essential material required for the construction of the social building. Each piece seems crucial, but at the same time not indispensable. They don’t have an identity or personality, they are just a piece of material. When necessary, they can be placed in any position, and they can be discarded like garbage when they are not required.”

Zhou Jin Hua’s stylistic representation of human beings as “small particles in this enormous universe” bears a constant reminder to viewers of the weakness and vulnerability of our pre-destined existence. By freeing both the artist’s and the viewer’s perspective from the constraint of conventional visual perspective, Zhou Jin Hua allows us to relish the otherworldly qualities that arise from detachment. And it is through this perspective that rotates through various angles in one’s field of vision that our experience is channeled from a visual medium into a psychological medium, gazing upon the mysterious wonders of destiny. 

“’Fate’ causes me to become like a stone, sometimes I am on the top of hill, whilst sometimes in the cesspit; ‘luck’ turns me into a bird, I can fly freely but I can never escape from the eyes of the hunter.” – Zhou Jin Hua

For more information about Spotty Series Exhibition, please click here.
Fore more information about The Observer Exhibition, please clikc here.