Wei Jia韦佳
b. 1957, Beijing, China
Wei Jia practiced traditional calligraphy, Chinese painting and poetry from an early stage. Wei graduated with a B.F.A from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing (1984) and M.F.A. from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (1987). He currently works and lives in New York and Beijing. The feeling of cultural displacement and coexistence of cultural identities led him to measure the influences from Eastern and Western cultures in his work.
Handmade paper is widely used in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. Fascinated by its historical importance and relationship to nature and craft, Wei Jia uses handmade paper to make abstract collages. Wei Jia’s process involves a rigorously repeated cycle of tearing, mounting and painting, which leaves the artwork full of serendipitous combinations which cannot be replicated. The final work is made of layers of ink, pastel, gouache, oil and handmade paper, encouraging the viewer to have a close look at the exceptional medium and make a journey within the artwork. American critic Robert C. Morgan notes that: “The results often appear more solid and lyrically intriguing than paintings associated with American Color Field painting in the 1960s, largely due to the superior absorbent quality of the paper made from crushed mulberry leaves.”
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Abstract Art Practice of Tan Ping, Ma Shuqing, Feng Lianghong, Bao Pei
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C06
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