Ruttonjee Centre, Central｜Wu Shan Solo Exhibition

Description

gdm Hong Kong is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Wu Shan, featuring a curated selection of the artist's lacquer paintings and ink works created between 2012 and 2025. Recognized as a leading figure in contemporary lacquer art in China, Wu Shan has devoted himself to an in-depth exploration of the medium’s visual language, seeing lacquer as an embodiment of profound cultural resonance and conceptual richness. Through the meticulous process of layering and the passage of time, his works trace subtle trajectories of emotion and thought, crystallizing into tangible forms.

In his recent works, Wu Shan draws titles from Kunqu repertoires, the oldest form of Chinese opera. Its lyrical melodies and delicate gestures resonate with his refined language of line. Without direct explanation, the titles guide viewers toward rhythm and association, while his paintings, echoing Kunqu’s pauses and tonal turns, embody restraint and subtlety, revealing emotion beneath quiet surfaces.

Against the excess and relentless pace of contemporary life, Wu Shan asserts minimalism as resistance. His refined lines and restrained palette embody patience and discipline, stripping away the superfluous to reveal only essential forms and emotions. For Wu Shan, minimalism is both a visual language and a lived philosophy, distilling experience into a refined expression that is at once pure and forceful.