Culture

The Artists of Songzhuang: Part 1

By David Friesen

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Although Dashanzi may get all the press in Beijing, there is a community of artists in the Chinese capital that is even larger, and probably more important. The place I am talking about is the little-known artist's community at Songzhuang (宋庄) in Tongzhou (通州). Although perhaps not known to many outside of the arts scene, Songzhuang in the east of Beijing has around 500 artists, which makes it the biggest art community in the entire world. Established in 1994, it has received acclaim for its contemporary art both in China and abroad, with artists coming from all over China. Most of the artists here live off the sale of their works, most of which are quite removed from typical mainstream art.

The community has an amazing atmosphere of creativity, with artists there also participating in society as teachers, freelancers and general members of the artistic fraternity. They are helped as much as possible by the Artist Village Gallery, which is a huge 700 square metre space designed to show contemporary art in the most prominent ways possible.  More about this gallery

Although perhaps harder to digest for some than other mainstream art, the contemporary art produced in this community is some of the most innovative and inspiring found in China.

Take the works of Tang Cheng (唐城) for example. Tang specialises in both behavioural art photos and abstract oil paintings. His photos vary in theme and composition, although one particular idea that runs through many of his pictures is groupings of colour in the form of various objects. Pictures of painted sheep, groups of flowers and boxes all help to bring life to the unusual groupings that are prevalent in our lives.

As well as photographs, Tang also paints abstract oil paintings that combine bold colours with elements of tribal art such as misshapen animals, masks and ghost-like figures enmeshed in the swathe of colour. Ritualistic positions are also noticeable, and the use of greens, purples and blues is prominent. In many ways these paintings are a uniquely Chinese take on a form somewhere between abstract impressionism and fauvism.

Dou Jin Jun (窦金军) is another of the most interesting artists at Songzhuang. His mix of surreal composition with traditional Chinese figures makes for an exciting and sometimes satirical take on Chinese art. Formless figures are often used to show segments of life and history, allowing the observer to focus more fully on the scene as a whole rather than the character. Photographic techniques are used in other works to bring the characters to life, giving them a sense of warmth and humour. The closest thing some of these works can be compared to are the humorous cartoons produced by Terry Gilliam for the comedy show Monty Python. Dou Jin Jun's art has that same quirky feel to it, and it is a refreshing change from many more 'serious' expressions of art.

Another Songzhuang artist whose work is bold and exciting is Hong Fan (洪帆). Hong uses bright and bold colours with smooth edges in the figures to show love and attraction between characters in her work. There are plenty of elements of 1960's and 1970's pop art here, with the simple shapes and lack of backgrounds to many of the paintings. There is a focus on the aesthetic, but also a clear emotional message conveyed through the cartoon-like figures in the paintings.

As well as these pop art paintings, Hong Fan develops many of the ideas of cubism in her other works, as well as trying her hand at more intricately drawn pieces of traditional Chinese figures. These more intricate works have a feel of Egyptian style scrolls about them, with the characters conveying a sense of history and time. Whatever style she is using, Hong Fan uses abstraction, especially in the form of exaggerated features on characters.

Away from the mainstream of art, abstraction allows for a greater sense of freedom for many artists in Songzhuang. This is the case for Li Wei Ming (李卫明), whose paintings consist mainly of black and red on light backgrounds. These bold images seem to be abstract versions of landscapes or even photographs. Many elements are combined here, with a move between the chaos of Henry Rosenberg's action art movement and the depressive serenity of the abstract expressionist works of Mark Rothko. The paintings convey a sense of movement and action, attempting to harness the raw emotion of a scene rather than showing the details. His works feel as if they are flowing from one place to another, allowing the observer to move through a full range of emotions.

All of these artists represent the dedication to contemporary art found in Songzhuang, and are helping China to add to its ancient artistic traditions by creating modern pieces of real value. With so many artists working in the same area, the avenues for creativity are great, and there are many more artists whose works require attention. In part 2 of this article series, we will look at the works of five more of Songzhuang's most important artists, including those of Zhang Lun (张伦), Wei Baogang (卫保刚)and Li Shuyang (李梳洋).

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