Hong Lei 洪磊

Education & Development

Hong got a late start in his career as an artist. He attended Nanjing Academy of Arts, earning his degree in 1987. In 1993, he then studied engraving and print making at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, and exhibited a few of his expressionist oil paintings in the Guangzhou Triennale of Modern Art. Though he held a solo exhibition in 1993 titled “Metaphysical Poetics,” his paintings were not widely appreciated and accepted. Meanwhile, conceptual art, which allowed artists to use a wide variety of materials to produce modern art, had begun to emerge in China, which would change his career for the better.

Art

Due to the emergence of conceptual art in China, Hong finally came into his own as an artist, adopting the unique style which would win him acclaim. In 1996, Hong took a photograph of his installation work titled “Chinese box.” The photograph depicted a dead bird lying in a crimson jewelry box filled with pearls, gems, and other precious treasures. This photograph drew the attention of critics and friends alike, introducing Hong to the contemporary art world as a photographer. He proceeded to photograph famous Chinese art works to express to his audience his inner anxiety about the conflicts between tradition and reality. He has said, “Chinese traditional culture isn’t always beautiful. It has good as well as bad. This is how I understand Chinese ancient civilization. I can’t say I criticize it or appreciate it. I just reveal the traditional Chinese culture that exists in my heart, and the way I understand it. It’s like in the saying of one poet:  ‘I love deeply and also hate the land under my feet.’ This is kind of a contradiction.” 

In many of his works, Hong draws inspiration from literature, especially Chinese classical literature such as The Dream of the Red Mansions and The Gold Plum Vase. In his China Landscapes, Hong creates a visual contrast among the gardens, the red clouds, and the blood running down the river. In these images, beauty fuses with despair to reflect the tensions of modern society, while simultaneously reflecting scenes from literature.

(Left: Chinese Landscape Zhuzheng Gardens, Photograph, 1998)

Though he is called a photographer, Hong believes he is not superbly talented with a camera. He re-creates and touches up photos with paint or a computer to obtain the full effect. 

Emergence and Reception

Exhibitions

Hong Lei has exhibited in China since 1993 and internationally since 1999 with his participation in the International Arts Festival Tachikawa 99 in Tachikawa, Japan. Recently, he exhibited in “Art Taipei 2006,” in Taipei, Taiwan. For Hong’s full CV, please click here.

References