Shang Chengxiang: Becoming

EVENT DESCRIPTION

3812 Gallery Hong Kong is excited to present “Becoming”, a solo exhibition by Chinese contemporary artist Shang Chengxiang, the artist’s first show in Hong Kong, from 15th June to 14th July. The exhibition will showcase a comprehensive selection of Shang’s oeuvre from the past decade. Shang specialises in organising pictorial elements in a surrealist style of wild fantasy worlds, creating distinct wonderlands between reality and imagination.

Shang Chengxiang was born in Shenyang in 1985 and graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 2008. Since then he has been working professionally as an artist and has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions domestically and globally. Partially inspired by the Surrealist master René Magritte, Shang’s works are influenced by this style yet remain true to Shang’s own unique presentation and subject, aiming to make artistic breakthroughs. Shang often paints several series of works simultaneously, in which dreams and subconscious are a major source of inspirations.

The exhibition title “Becoming”, infers uncertainty and infinite possibilities, which are important themes in Shang’s artistic practice. The artist aims to explore the relationship between personal growth and the influence of family factors, and in his paintings Shang asks questions of his audience about self and genes, consciousness and subconscious, contingency and necessity, and nature and self-awareness. These complex issues create a visual field of memory and imagination, and Shang constructs a fantasy that transcends reality and reflects his own worldview.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Shang Chengxiang was born in Shenyang in 1985 and graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 2008. Since then he has been working professionally as an artist and has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions domestically and globally. Partially inspired by the Surrealist master René Magritte, Shang’s works are influenced by this style yet remain true to his own unique presentation, palette and subject. Shang usually processes several different series of works simultaneously, in which dream is a major source of inspirations. His works are in major public and private collections including White Rabbit Gallery (Australia), DSL Collection (France), Blue Roof Museum of Chengdu (China), American Consulate in Shenyang (China) and Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum (China).