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INTRODUCTION TO PARADISE LOST

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Be Light

26.5*36cm

Mixed Media

2016

Whenever I’m asked to describe Wang Ning’s work I feel puzzled and struggle for words. Because nothing is clear in him, nothing definite, sure or safe... In his paintings Wang Ning takes us on a journey within us, and he loves to puzzle us during this journey. He makes us look where we often don’t want to look or simply are not accustomed to look. That’s what makes him a great artist!

Wang Ning’s work is about identity and the essence of life. His scratches and fogs tell us that there are no ultimate answers but, at best, the wish to ask the right questions.

Little Jesus,INTRODUCTION TO PARADISE LOST,798艺术区,官方,more,loud,over,what,need,王宁,策展人,苍鑫

Little Jesus

26*36.8cm

Mixed Media

2016

When I first saw a painting of Wang Ning I was thrilled by what I saw and immediately wanted to discover more. There I was, a bloody Westerner in Beijing, discovering a bloody Chinese artist looking surprisingly Western, understandable to me. There seemed not to be any cultural gap between us. When I told him, he laughed out loud, proudly claiming his Chinese roots. And in fact: Wang Ning is a deeply rooted Chinese painter, his language however deals with issues we all know and are longing for – regardless of our origin.

Particulate,INTRODUCTION TO PARADISE LOST,798艺术区,官方,more,loud,over,what,need,王宁,策展人,苍鑫

Particulate

41*41cm

Mixed Media

2018

There’s almost no color in Wang Ning’s paintings. Most are black, black and white, and in all shades of grey. It seems that he leaves it to us to color what we see, just as we color our very own life the way we see it. Color talks, defines, sets marks; black instead leaves things open, free to happen. Black is life before life - and it’s the origin of it all. Wang Ning’s great ability is to transmit us his sense of curiosity in exploring this darkness and the light behind.

His paintings look quiet at first site but soon enthrall and enchant the observer. Subjects begin to move, shadows fly away, colors emerge out of greys blossoming into flowers and silent melodies. It’s a fresh, intriguing power that takes over. A power that can be found in all of Wang Ning’s works, and it’s what makes you want to look at them again and again.

Cloud,INTRODUCTION TO PARADISE LOST,798艺术区,官方,more,loud,over,what,need,王宁,策展人,苍鑫

Cloud

26*36.2cm

Mixed Media

2018

Wang Ning is what you probably would call a complex, not easy painter. But, man, what a painter! We need “SPACE” exactly as we need “A HUMAN LANDSCAPE” or “A WONDERFUL DAY” or the ironic “MADE IN CHINA” (just to mention some of his latest works). We need Wang Ning’s subtle intelligence and irony as well as his genuine humbleness. That’s probably another why his paintings touch us, and let us smile and cry at the same time.

So, when it comes to Wang Ning, I’m still puzzled and struggling for words, but by now I know, that that’s exactely what he wants me to feel. Wang Nings work is a joyful invitation to question us and question what’s behind the facade. The elgance and the eloquence, with which he does this makes him one of the truly great painters in contemporary China.

Mauro Frigerio

Background,INTRODUCTION TO PARADISE LOST,798艺术区,官方,more,loud,over,what,need,王宁,策展人,苍鑫