Squaring the Circle
Ora-Ora is pleased to announce a new solo show by Hangzhou-based artist, Peng Jian. Titled Squaring the Circle, the exhibition will take place at Ora-Ora’s Tai Kwun space from October 5, to November 13, 2022.
Peng Jian rose to prominence through his geometric ink-on-paper interpretations of the Chinese architectural teachings of jiehua. He has since developed his themes into canvas, and at Art Basel Hong Kong 2021 presented a landmark series of NFT artworks titled Harmony X, a colourful geometric work of agency and dynamism, fascinating in turn by action and reaction.
This exhibition will feature Peng Jian's works from the Harmony, Still Life, Phantom in the Bottle and Growing series. Twists and turns are the common ground across these series of works, specifically the straight lines and curves that dominate each. Harmony expresses the tortuous relationship between recurring objects and images, whilst Still Life highlights the twists and turns of the lines themselves. Lengths, proportions and angles are carefully calculated to support a complex balance and interdependence of objects. Phantom in the Bottle limits those twists and turns to specific images, making a simple vessel fuller and more ambiguous. The Growing series emphasizes curves, through the collision of objects and the surrounding environment, forming an opposing and separate relationship between the object and the self. The English title, Squaring the Circle, asks the visitor to reconcile some of the opposing forces of line and curve, and to find the meanings in the symbolism of Peng Jian’s work.
