Zheng Chongbin

Zheng Chongbin fuses Western abstraction with the Chinese calligraphic tradition in works of ink- and acrylic- on -paper, finding contemporary relevance in antiquated forms of Asian ink art. Having studied and split his time in China and the U.S., Zheng reveals the influences of both places and artistic traditions in his work. Layering ink of various consistencies onto Xuan paper, Zheng creates various forms with his dexterous brushwork and continuously investigates the logic of the ink medium and its perceptual characteristics, the alternation between transcendence, technology and the materiality of the work.

From the initial curatorial vision to design development and throughout the manufacturing and installation of the artwork, our team in China worked closely with Zheng Chongbin to deliver the work. Zheng has brought a group of "flying stones" to the Shanghai Library East with the architectural form that inspires the artwork, and its multimedia part integrates ink, technology and natural elements.

The artwork becomes a message for humans to live with respect to nature, which is shared with many other beings, and to survive together on a damaged planet. His experience in San Francisco of "half ocean, half technology" has often prompted him to think about nature and the future, and the electronic screens in the installation become the "paper" of our time, reflecting the changes in the way information is disseminated between the past and the present.