「Blue of Existence & Indescribing with Blue」Kang Lei & Chen Zijun Double Solo Exhibition:

Exhibition Site

Kang Lei's Painting: The Name of the Existence of Flower

Text/Xia Kejun

Flowers, an intertextual relationship with the painter Kang Lei's name, intertwine and refer to each other. The painter attempts to construct and deconstruct, strengthen and weaken, manifest and sink between language and image, individuals and things, from the surface of painting to the emotions of life. The blooming of flowers is like the departure and outward extension of existence, it is like 'clouds thinking about clothes, flowers thinking about appearance', thinking about certain fixed or indefinite clothes and faces.

Kang Lei Exhibition Site

From the colors of reality to the blue of imagination, flowers are not just like colorful flowers, but can also be trees of the jungle, clustered leaves, and palms of thorns. In a dark stage, life puts on another garment, revealing its face, a self of its own. Therefore, this is an impossible blue. Blue is not only the color itself, but also becomes an atmosphere that ripples through rendering, a hazy and lingering aura.

Kang Lei, Flower Words 10, Tempera, 80×40cm, 2014

This is the unique technique brought by Kang Lei's painting: Tanpei La's painting style brings a thickness to the picture, and the ink wash dyeing creates a thin and transparent texture. The combination of thickness and lightness is like a piece of blue and white porcelain appearing gracefully, solid and warm. Nature, the nurturing, growing, and maturing nature, moves towards blue flowers, blue air, and blue breath.

Kang Lei, Shadow 1, Tempera, 80×40cm, 2014 (Part)

Life becomes more free and unrestrained in the rhythm of blue aggregation and dispersion. Those plants, one after another, clusters after clusters, seem to be able to hear their intimate whispers, the dense noise, which is a manifestation of full vitality. Full of thorns and thorns, exuberant and unrestrained, sparse and sparse, upward curved and low brow, the different moods of life remain calm and composed.

Kang Lei, The Flower of Perception 5, Tempera on Cloth, 80×40cm, 2024 (Part)

In the intertextual relationship between flowers and names, in the reflection of two faces, deep in the heavy shadows of flowers, the painter's face is graceful and graceful, accompanied by her inner spiritual body - tigers, snakes, black cats, resting birds - swaying in the shadows and wandering in dreams. In the deepest part of the dream, the once noisy atmosphere becomes even sweeter after being intoxicated by blue. In the ultimate deep silence of the blue, tiny light spots shine like twinkling stars in the boundless universe, revealing both darkness and brightness. The brilliance of interstellar blooming is like fireworks rising in the night sky. In this artistic moment, life returns to the bright and sparkling innocence and beauty of daydreaming.

Kang Lei, Flower Words 5, Tempera, 60×60cm, 2014 (Part)

Blue is just a gift of one's brightest radiance to the gaze that looks back, so this gaze is also blue. The beautiful world can only meet in the blue of existence, that is the most beautiful afternoon, the afternoon of the Shepherd God.

Chen Zijun's Painting: Adjectives for Blue Shadow

Text/Xia Kejun

Adjectives are not things, but the state of things, the chewing of sensations, and temporary naming, because sensations are fleeting and naming is arbitrary. Adjectives are suppressed, suppressed again, until they reach the depths of floral meaning and the roots of primitive language words. The blue root of the word gives rise to a light blue new world.

Chen Zijun, Walk Out 2022, Acrylic Oil on Canvas, 222×665cm, 2023 (Part)

On the thin surface of painting, the colors of the painting material appear like the unconscious floating at the bottom of the canvas. When it gathers and disperses, things develop from it, revealing their contours; When separated, it is like a dreamlike bubble, returning to the blocks of color: cold, warm, bright, dark, close to each other, and prickly points pulled apart... Therefore, in Chen Zijun's paintings, this is a "lower than two-dimensional" picture, with a faint blue that is shrouded in a poetic veil.

Chen Zijun, Green and Astringent, Oil on Canvas, 80×60cm, 2024

At the level of imagery, we can see the presentation of the state of things, such as still life, people to people, people to plants, people to animals, and so on. They are in a flawless and tranquil hazy state, which is an Eden like return to the life state of the primitive garden.

Chen Zijun, Implicative, Oil on Canvas, 80×60cm, 2024

This is the juxtaposition, entanglement, encirclement, embedding, and resonance of various relationships... striking the heart directly, there seem to be invisible lines that connect the rhythm of people and things together, giving rise to a different yet approaching rhythm of beating and breathing. And as this rhythm slows down, the brushstrokes and lines transform into themselves, and the painting plane falls back into being just a plane. That is the circular dance of colors, the jumping of color blocks. At the beginning of painting, it was only the surprise and joy generated by the collision between colors.

Chen Zijun, Falling into Deep Blue, Acrylic Oil on Canvas, 100×100cm, 2023

The dialogue between colors is like language in a dream, always giving our eyes infinite wandering and slight excitement between silence and brilliance, neither more nor less, like the humility of painting. So, these images are in a state of dreamlike detachment, clearly distinguishable as a retracted hand, a lifted hand, a covered hand, a raised hand, a embracing hand, a supporting hand, a crossed hand, a hand with nowhere to place it... Ambiguous and blurred like a curved, retracted, soft, fluttering, falling into nothingness line, making the gaze disappear into the eternal game of painting plane. This is the blue you have never seen before, the blue you can only meet in your dreams, an indescribable blue.

Chen Zijun, Nothingness, Oil on Canvas, 80×60cm, 2023

「Blue of Existence & Indescribing with Blue」Kang Lei & Chen Zijun Double Solo Exhibition Opening Ceremony

Blue of Existence & Indescribing with Blue

Lei Kang & Zijun Chen Double Solo Exhibition

Curator：Kejun Xia

Exhibition Site

Curator Mr. Xia Kejun delivered a speech on site

Thank you to all friends, guests, esteemed scholars, and teachers for your presence. At this beautiful moment of the upcoming October holiday, we gather at the Common Art Center to celebrate this festival that is even more beautiful thanks to the works of two female artists. Thank you very much for the invitation from Bao Yu and the Common Art Center. It is worth mentioning that the two artists successfully held two solo exhibitions at the Joint Art Center two years ago. And in this exhibition, their works once again showcase a remarkable commonality, let me briefly explain it to everyone.

The first theme revolves around blue, and we can see this unique blue color from female artists on site. The words' blue of existence 'and' blue to describe 'are actually homophones, because after three years of the pandemic, facing our Great Depression era, our survival is actually difficult. Through a homophone, let us feel that the works of female artists are not just beautiful, but also a response to the human condition in a feminine way.

Kang Lei, Everything Sometimes · Blooms, Mixed Materials, 140×200cm, 2024

Both female artists are university professors, teaching at Central Academy of Fine Arts and Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts respectively. They have a solid foundation in painting. As individual artists, they each have their own unique painting language. Teacher Kang Lei cleverly water-based oily materials, using egg tempera and tempera techniques to create a unique ink charm, which is particularly evident in the blue and white porcelain series, demonstrating the transformation of oil and water, and reflecting the artist's reflection on the times. Teacher Chen Zijun blends oil and water, presenting a mural effect that incorporates both traditional Chinese elements and Western mural colors, showcasing the softness and intimacy of our contemporary living conditions.  

Chen Zijun Exhibition Site

The two artists approached water in their oil-based transformation, incorporating a sense of historical time and showcasing their unique exploration of painting language and form. Teacher Kang Lei's works reflect youth and dreams, while Teacher Chen Zijun focuses on life maturity and inner relationships. Their works are fascinating, I hope everyone likes them and continues to follow them. Thank you all.

Chen Zijun, Vanilla Ice Cream, Acrylic Oil on Canvas, 100×100cm, 2023

Professor and doctoral supervisor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts

Mr. Jin Rilong, Dean of Nanhai Academy of Fine Arts, delivered a speech on site

I am honored to attend today's opening ceremony and feel the unique and delicate love of women as soon as I step in, which is difficult for men to understand. As a colleague of Teacher Kang Lei, I am very familiar with her works, and today is also my first face-to-face communication with Teacher Chen Zijun. There is a subtle resonance between the original works of the two teachers, balancing tension and relaxation, and the use of materials is ingenious. Although we come from the oil painting department, their works reveal the charm of Chinese painting, and water-based materials are given new life, showcasing a unique charm.

Chen Zijun, Happy, Oil on Canvas, 80×60cm, 2023 (Part)

Special attention should be paid to the curator, Professor Xia Kejun, who is a philosopher and not commonly seen in contemporary art curation. Teacher Xia has a deep connection with the contemporary art world, and his philosophical thinking adds new dimensions to the exhibition. I deeply feel that contemporary art requires philosophical intervention to better understand and interpret artistic phenomena. The exhibition left a deep impression on me, and the relationship between the curator and the artist, as well as the love conveyed by the works, made me feel the charm and power of art. I hope everyone can taste the exhibition together, feel the tacit understanding and talent of the two artists, and make the exhibition a wonderful enjoyment during the National Day holiday. Thank you everyone!

Mr. Gu Zhenqing, a renowned independent curator, delivered a speech on site

In my opinion, today's exhibition is a powerful resistance of artists to the current reality of internal competition and confusion. They choose to embrace the close connection between humans and nature, rather than indulging in the trivial gains and losses of real life. The blue color in this has profound implications. It is not only a symbol of the universe, but also represents water and sky. Koreyin's choice of blue as the cathode color undoubtedly has profound reasons. From Kang Lei's works, I feel her persistent pursuit of structure and form, as well as the new sense of relaxation that is now displayed. This relaxation and emptiness is actually a resistance to reality, an attempt at decentralization that removes both the artist's self centeredness and the constraints of anthropocentrism. Her paintings have become unconventional, expressing all things in various ways, reflecting on the relationship between humans and nature, making nature the protagonist, and reflecting on ourselves.

Kang Lei, Blue Cells, Mixed Materials, 140×200cm×2, 2017

And Zijun's works are equally impressive. The animal images in her paintings not only have a strong sense of form and conscious artistic conception, but also explore the close connection between humans and animals, humans and the natural world at a deep level. Her new work uses dreams as horses or animals as dreams and hometowns, further emphasizing this inseparable connection. Under this blue tone, I found that both artists were striving to break through the simple capture of the phenomenal world, but rather attempting to present the cosmic order and visual essence behind the paintings. They have extraordinary courage to resist reality and lead us towards a more harmonious and simple natural world. Thank you again to the two artists for their wonderful presentations, as well as to all those who have worked hard for this exhibition.

Chen Zijun Exhibition Site

Good afternoon, friends. I remember a few years ago, specifically in 2022, during the pandemic, I had the privilege of visiting an art exhibition by two female painters here. That exhibition left a deep impression on me. Kang Lei's paintings use green plants as the theme, showcasing a strong vitality, and the cathartic power makes people feel the vigor and vitality of life. Zijun's paintings, on the other hand, employ a more ethereal expression, conveying a unique charm that immerses people in it.

Kang Lei, The Flower of Perception 3, Mixed Materials, 70×200cm, 2024 (Part)

Their works, one is power and the other is charm, each with its own strengths and characteristics. In recent years, although we occasionally sketch together, they mostly create and experiment in their own studio. I have been to Zijun's studio before, and the ground is filled with her works. Every time I see her new paintings, I can feel her progress and changes. I want to say that their paintings are getting better and better, and I sincerely wish their exhibition a complete success.

Chen Zijun, Implicative, Oil on Canvas, 80×60cm, 2024

Good afternoon, friends. I am very pleased to participate in the dual exhibitions of Kang Lei and Zijun. I remember two years ago, also here, their two solo exhibitions left a deep impression on me, even though Zijun was unable to attend at that time. Although there are many exhibitions nowadays, there are not many that are truly worth seeing, and their two solo exhibitions are exactly what I was looking forward to. As a fellow artist, I came to the exhibition with a learning attitude. The last exhibition left me with a lot of feelings, and this time, Teacher Xia Kejun chose the colors in their paintings as the exhibition theme, which I think is particularly innovative. Kang Lei's blue color seems to be derived from blue and white porcelain or other elements, and she has been painting about it for many years. Zijun used to prefer gray and warm colors, but in recent years he has been using more blue, purple, and green.

Chen Zijun Exhibition Site

As female artists, their mixed use of water-based materials and oil painting presents an indescribable flowing water-based texture, which is difficult for male painters to achieve. Their art style is sharp and sensitive, while also revealing a sense of fragility. In addition, their paintings have been constantly changing. Kang Lei has innovated in her subject matter and started to explore new fields such as plum blossoms and lotus flowers, demonstrating her new thinking. Zijun seems to have entered a more enclosed and self-centered space, which may be the impact of the epidemic on everyone. In short, I feel that today's work has brought me a lot of surprises and surprises, and has benefited me a lot. Congratulations again on the successful completion of the exhibition, thank you.

I would like to congratulate Kang Lei and Zijun on the successful completion of their exhibition. Although I only saw a part of Zijun's paintings, each one left a deep impression on me. And for Kang Lei's paintings, I look more carefully. Her images are rich in colors and loose in form, giving people a pleasant visual enjoyment. More importantly, their paintings can evoke deep thoughts and touch people's hearts after viewing. I think Zijun's paintings seem to contain more ideas waiting for us to explore and understand. The works of both artists are admirable. Congratulations again.

Kang Lei, The Flower of Perception 1, Acrylic on Canvas, 70×200cm, 2024

In this beautiful season, I would like to express my special thanks to all the guests and friends present today. The Common Art Center is honored to provide us, Zijun and I, with such an opportunity to showcase during this special period. Before the festival is approaching, everyone has a lot of activities and things to do. However, you still chose to come and see our exhibition, providing us with valuable support. Thank you all very much. I won't say much, a lot of things are in the picture.

Kang Lei, You Stand on the Bridge and Watch the Scenery, Acrylic on Canvas, 70×200cm, 2024

Artist Chen Zijun delivered a speech on site

I am very, very grateful to the friends and guests who were able to be present today. Especially for those friends who came all the way from other places to attend our opening ceremony, your arrival makes me feel very happy. At the same time, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Joint Art Center for providing us with such an excellent venue. Curator Xia Kejun, with his keen insight and efficient action, quickly and accurately captured the soul of our exhibition, which is truly admirable. The friends present are like autumn sunshine, warming our hearts and making us feel immensely gratified. Two years ago, I had two solo exhibitions with Kang Lei, and I have always had regrets in my heart because I was unable to come to Beijing. But today, the second half of this solo exhibition finally came to a successful conclusion, which made me feel very satisfied. Every time I collaborate with Kang Lei on an exhibition, I can learn a lot and gain a lot from it.

Chen Zijun Exhibition Site

In addition, I would like to express my special thanks to Teacher Gu Zhenqing. When he held exhibitions in Germany, he constantly nourished us with his vast knowledge, which greatly benefited us. At the same time, I am also very grateful to Teacher Zhao Peizhi. Despite having an important group exhibition in Suzhou, he still chose to stay in Beijing to participate in our two solo exhibitions. He is not only the elder brother among our colleagues and friends present, but also the leading figure among our 70s generation who have always insisted on painting. He has a strong appeal and is always willing to lead us to progress together. I also want to thank Sister He and Teacher Sun for their arrival. Your support is of great significance to us. Thank you again everyone!

Group photo of guests present at the opening ceremony

About Curator

Curator: Xia Kejun

Philosopher, critic, curator.

Doctor of Philosophy, professor and doctoral supervisor of School of Arts, Renmin University of China. Activate the core concepts of "virtual surplus" and "uselessness" in China, and transform them into contemporary ones. Published more than ten personal philosophical and artistic works, planned over three hundred art exhibitions, and made contributions to the study of Eastern and Western philosophy and contemporary art. Won the "2023 European Poetry and Literature Homer Award". Recent representative works include: "A Waiting and Useless Nation," "Useless Literature - Kafka and China," "Useless Theology - Benjamin, Heidegger, and Derrida," "Smoke Shadow and Veil," and "Letting Go of the Weird: The New Beginning of World Philosophy.