Zhuang Hong Yi
Born in China's Sichuan Province in 1962, Zhuang Hong Yi divides his time between The Netherlands and Beijing. His art is consistently dominated by the flower motif, a powerful image in Chinese culture imbued with numerous meanings and emotions, which also resonates strongly with the Netherlands’ renowned floral heritage. Zhuang dedicates himself patiently and meticulously to this subject, carefully and thoughtfully crafting his works year after year. His highly sought-after 'flower bed' pieces are created using delicate painted rice paper, which he meticulously bends and folds into hundreds of tiny buds.
This combination of a Chinese background and European influence profoundly marks Zhuang Hong Yi's work. Embracing his present without losing his past, he attempts to define a sense of self that exists between the two cultures. Visually, Zhuang enacts this personal struggle by vacillating between phases of controlled planning, emotional gesture, and careful editing, creating works that represent beauty, sophistication, and perfection.
Zhuang's artistic evolution showcases a mastery of color, progressing from monochromatic pieces to dynamic dual and multi-hued compositions. These works exhibit a subtle chromatic shift that engages the viewer, creating an experience of movement, contrast, and unexpected visual interplay as one changes perspective. His use of traditional Chinese rice paper infuses his art with Chinese aesthetics, serving as a medium for meditations on color, nature, and form. The meticulous technique, emphasis on uniformity, and focused material handling evident in his work are all foundational lessons acquired during his initial studies at the Sichuan College of Fine Arts.
His painted canvases also bear the influence of Impressionism and other Western artistic practices. Working with a freedom of style, as if liberated from his native country’s well-established artistic traditions and boundaries, his impasto strokes of daring, bright colors are expressive and unconfined. Colors melt together and paint drips down the canvas, seeping over a collage of delicately unfolded rice paper flowers. The almost sculptural three-dimensionality makes these works both painting and object. Messiness, variety, and chance are all embraced, drawing the viewer in and encouraging contemplation as they immerse us in a tapestry of color and form.
Zhuang Hong Yi has exhibited throughout Europe and China, and his work is held in numerous esteemed public and private collections worldwide. He has also been the subject of multiple museum exhibitions at the Groninger Museum, Groninger, and the Netherlands.
