Artist’s Beijing solo continues literati painting tradition

The paintings of Chinese artist Shen Xiaotong, who is holding a solo exhibition at Beijing’s Sukie Gallery, usually give viewers two opposing impressions.

At first glance, one is taken aback by the striking, unrelenting red, green, or blue hues dominating his canvases, especially his large-scale works. Upon closer examination, the intensity of his work abates — replaced by the pared-down, minimal portrayal of apples, houseplants, bamboo, landscapes and his childhood friends — subjects that characterize the artist’s recent oeuvre.

The subjects in Shen’s paintings, created with loose, expressive brushstrokes, seem to merge with or emerge from their heavy background. Fuzzy and mysterious, they seem to have been salvaged from a recess of memories, imbuing the canvases with tranquility, nostalgia, and a touch of melancholy.

“Though they are mundane things in my life, I, now at 56 years old, hold them dear to my heart,” the artist said.