[photo credit: The Huntington]
“Wang Mansheng joins curator Phillip Bloom to discuss the ideas and inspirations underlying Without Us, his immersive painting installation that combines contemporary art with classical Chinese conceptions of nature,” according to The Huntington.
Following the conversation in Rothenberg Hall, Wang will demonstrate his distinctive painting and calligraphy techniques in the Rose Hills Court, showcasing his use of handmade reed brushes and black walnut ink that he creates himself.
The New York-based artist was born in 1962 in China and graduated from Fudan University in Shanghai, where he majored in classical Chinese literature. He worked at China Central Television before moving to New York in 1996 to focus on art.
“‘Without Us’ imagines a world without humans. I’d visited the Huntington several times over the years to study its rich variety of trees and plants,” Wang said. The exhibition features 22 hand-painted silk panels suspended from the ceiling, creating a three-dimensional landscape visitors can walk through.
Bloom praises Wang’s approach: “He knows the history of painting so well, and he responds to art history in very thoughtful ways. I love the sense of dynamism in his paintings of rocks and trees, which he creates in part by using brushes that he himself makes from reeds.”
The exhibition is on view through August 4 in the Studio for Lodging the Mind within The Huntington’s Chinese Garden. The conversation and demonstration event will be livestreamed for remote attendees.
Wang Mansheng: Conversation and Demonstration Monday, July 14, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Huntington’s Rothenberg Hall, Rose Hills Court, and Livestream 1151 Oxford Rd. San Marino For more call 626-405-2100 or visit https://www.huntington.
