China Daily

With images of ballroom dancers, tai chi experts and the street crossings China Daily reflects the lively nature of the mundane Chinese everyday.

Deng Ying’s (b. 1969 Guagnxi Province) works make up the majority of the exhibition. Her naive, painterly technique conveys an honest reflection of life’s daily tasks. From the impatient child waiting at the traffic lights to a crowd caught in a summer downfall Deng captures the vibrant nature of China’s streets on the flattened plane of the canvas.

Deng’s works are complimented by the luminous works of Cui Qiang (b. 1962 Liaoning Province). Moving away from the randomness of the streets Cui creates portraits of the national passtimes of Tai Chi and Ballroom Dancing. The passion of these everyday sports – one practiced in the early hours in parks and public spaces across the cities and the other at night with boomboxes in the empty foyers of transnational buildings – are conveyed through florescent shades.

While both Deng and Cui celebrate everyday China within their works the screenprint by Chen Yu (b. 1969 Guizhou Province) unraveled this utopian view. Chen is famous for his crowds of Chinese clones and this work is one of his most succinct. The frustrating reality of China’s incessant queues is portrayed with the viewer invited into complicity with an unfortunate figure.

Programme: On Saturday the 31st of October the Chinese Association of Victoria will be performing Taichi, Ballroom Dancing and playing mahjong within the gallery space between 1-3pm.

Free Admission

fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane Melbourne
Tue – Fri 11am to 5pm, Sat 12pm to 4pm
(03) 9662 9966, www.fortyfivedownstairs.com