Dreaming of Nature with Wang Yung

Wang Yung’s ‘Whimsical Dreamscape’ was a one off art exhibition held last night at O’ gallery, a compact yet charming space with a small courtyard, significantly hidden in the back lanes of Hengshan Lu. Although small, the gallery held a surprising amount of people, carefully manouvering themselves-glass of red wine cupped precariously in hand-around each other and several large 60,000RMB oil paintings. The relaxed atmosphere inside the gallery created an enjoyable viewing experience and did an effective job of portraying the character of the artist.

The quotes, which I later learned were pencilled on the wall in a last minute moment of creative brilliance, gave an insight to the artist’s inspiration. The child-like hand in which they were scrawled served to emphasise the whimsical, almost juvenile quality of the paintings. The expressive use of bright colours and impressionist images of mist covered mountains seemed to display a lack of inhibition and an unspoilt connection to nature. Several of the paintings looked as though they were shrouded in a light mist, adding a dream-like quality and inspiring the title of the exhibition.

Wang Yung appeared to be a shy, reserved man who commented, ‘living in Wuhan is best for me. I can swim alone and explore without anyone interfering with my connection to nature.’ He seemed wholly uncomfortable with having a camera pointed at his face and the interview conducted by the organisers was brief and to the point. This appeared to be a man for whom art is less of a means to make money as it is a personal necessity. He claimed not to think much about his subject choice but to paint how he feels, allowing his spirit to guide his strokes.

This is an interesting concept as his paintings follow similar motifs of lakes, tents, spot lights and giant mushrooms: they all depict nature in one form or another and yet in many, a disproportionate object draws the eye and adds complexity. Yung also stated that he begins each painting during the winter time, ‘this is the most peaceful time of year for me,’ and some of his paintings take years to finish and so are witness to the changing seasons. Additionally, he enjoys painting at night and the majority of his paintings seem to show twilight or dawn, many of which use torch lights to illuminate a specific point in the painting.
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My favourite painting is shown above of mountains, a lake and a lighthouse. The depth of the painting is confusing to the eye and it appears mystical and complicated, reminding me of certain European impressionist paintings. I particularly enjoy the use of colour in this painting, the variety of greens and blues contrasting to the more muted tones of Yung’s other paintings. What I like the most, however, is the lighthouse next to the lake. Either the viewer is out at sea being warned of the unseen rocks, or in China they have random lighthouses chilling next to their lakes.

Regardless, Wang Yung’s paintings are definitely evocative.  However, costing between 50,000 and 80,000 RMB, his paintings were a tad out of my price range and it’s therefore doubtful that they will ever find a place on my apartment walls. The evening as a whole was enjoyable and interesting and I look forward to seeing the creative mark that Wang Yung makes on the future.