DREAMS COME TRUE

While studying at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, Du Yanfang found herself dreaming about her hometown in rural Hunan Province. The 26-year-old longed for the free-spirited and carefree days of her erstwhile rural existence. After looking at old vintage photographs brought up more memories, she began to conceive the idea for her Hometown Baiduyao series of works.

The finished works incorporate ink drawings of teenagers doing things she used to enjoy, such as playing on the river and reading, into photographs of places in her hometown that are meaningful to her. Each piece also shows a ghosted image of the artist at a different age. “Every character in the photos is my self-image,” she explains.

Du’s Hometown Baiduyao series can be seen this month at O Gallery along with the works of five other young artists who were chosen for the Fantasy of Childhood exhibition by curator Han Tsungwoo. The others are Yang Ke, Li Zhan, He Qipeng, Yuan Kun and Liu Jian.

O Gallery is the brain child of Shenan Chuang, CEO, Ogilvy & Mather Greater China, who began the program six years ago as a way to support young artists, while also showcasing Ogilvy’s creativity. Of this latest exhibit Chuang says, “As I reviewed the collection of artwork selected by the curator, I spotted a common thread. The pieces were all reminiscent of childhood because they showed a freeness of spirit that is most often reflected in children as they have no preconceived notions of how things should be.

“That’s how the Fantasy of Childhood theme came to mind. It also works really well because we want our O Gallery to inspire our people and visitors to remember what it’s like to think like kids – the most creative people around!”

As with previous O Gallery exhibitions, curator Han was charged with finding new talents with a fresh voice. “You have to have a personality and quality,” he says when explaining how he made his selections for the exhibit. All but one of the artists in the group graduated this year from art school.

When asked why he chose Du Yanfang’s work for the exhibit he says, “This just struck me. Everyone has a clear image about your first grade classroom. This is done so well, I feel touched. This is, of course, not just about childhood but also reflects how we move away from our childhood memories so quickly, especially in today’s China.”

The featured artists work in different mediums including wood sculpture and woodblock printing. Though it remains to be seen whether any of them will go on to gain the fame, and record-setting prices, of Zeng Fanzhi, who has said that his Unmasked series of paintings are reflective of his childhood memories, they offer a thought-provoking glimpse at China’s newest generation of artists.

O Gallery @ Ogilvy

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