Hard Edge

Ora-Ora is pleased to present Hard Edge, an exhibition of works by Hangzhou-based artist Peng Jian. On view from September 24 through October 24, the exhibition features 11 still-life works from a new chapter in the artist’s continuous exploration of the intersection between the techniques of Western and Chinese art. Through harmonizing both of their aesthetics, Peng Jian is able to subvert our expectations of Chinese literati painting. By abandoning the traditional subject matter of flowers, birds, and landscapes, Peng Jian turns towards everyday objects, like glass bottles and mechanical parts, to focus on the personal connections we have with them. These objects have been super-imposed and condensed, producing blocks of colours and powerful figurative contours that reveal their most rudimental form. As the artist explains, “The objects I portray in my paintings are things I have seen and touched in my life. They must have a sense of existence to me. The bottle in the painting, although it is not a classic form, embodies the pureness and simplicity of contemporary art, while incorporating the refined atmosphere of traditional Chinese Song painting”.