Zhou Hao Exhibition

Exhibition Period: January 10 (Thu) – February 1 (Sun), 2004

11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Closed: Wednesdays and the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays
Venue: Artland Gallery

Exhibits: New Prints, Monotypes

At Artland Gallery, we are holding an exhibition of new prints and monotypes by Zhou Hao. Born in Shanghai, China, in 1960, Zhou Hao moved to Japan after graduating from high school to study printmaking and oil painting at an art university. He is currently based in Yokohama. This solo exhibition is his second, following his first in 2000. Zhou's works evoke a vast space, as if one is standing before a natural landscape, with a depth that soothes the mind, allowing one's consciousness to expand infinitely. We will explore the source of this sensation and glimpse into the charm of his works.

■ "Spontaneity" as the Foundation of Creation ■
"…If the image is already formed, if I already know what I want to paint, then there's no need to bother painting it… To me, drawing something exactly as it appears in my mind is like reading a mystery novel when I already know the ending," says Zhou, whose creative foundation lies in "spontaneity." His approach to creation is as natural as washing his face or brushing his teeth in the morning—there is no special preparation. Just as daily habits occur in an unintentional, mindful state, his act of painting is an extension of this state.
He first began using lithography among the various printmaking techniques because this method, which allows "drawing to directly become the print," perfectly aligns with his spontaneity. Lithography, where one can create prints by drawing on limestone with everyday tools like pens or brushes, and monotype, where one directly paints on metal or paper and transfers the image before it dries, proved to be ideal methods for him.
However, the method of "spontaneity," while easy and accessible to anyone, carries the risk of becoming "monotonous." To overcome this, Zhou employs a paradoxical technique of continuing to create until his own brain and body become tired of it. This is akin to a monk's rigorous practice, where one transcends the body to attain enlightenment.

■ A Grand and Rare Attempt… The Unification of Finite and Infinite ■
Zhou's extensive use of lithographs and monotypes stems not only from his desire to utilize "spontaneity" but also from two other objectives: incorporating "unexpected expressions" and creating a "unique pictorial space."

The "unexpected expressions" in prints refer to the unforeseen effects that only appear when the drawn image is transferred to paper, which Zhou considers an indispensable element of his creativity. He seeks to expand into "expressive realms that are impossible through mere drawing." Moreover, the act of transferring, in a sense, distances the created image from the artist, moving it further away from the appearance of being human-made, and potentially entrusting it to a greater existential realm.

The "unique pictorial space" Zhou creates is characterized by a composition that fuses the "image (the painted area)" with its "surroundings (the unpainted area)," resulting in a new pictorial space. The pictorial space created by the "image" is flattened (two-dimensional) through transfer to paper, seemingly losing the three-dimensional texture and depth it had as a print.
However, Zhou ingeniously uses this characteristic of the print as a hidden expression—a negative relief on the back of the paper—transforming the visible pictorial space into an invisible one, engaging not just the eye but directly affecting the brain behind it. This can be seen as a shift from an indirect pictorial space (illusion) to a direct pictorial space (reality).

In Zhou's works, as the "image" is converted into an invisible pictorial space, the previously empty "surroundings" emerge as a visible pictorial space. Much like when the balance of positive and negative electrodes is disrupted, the painted "image" takes on "negative ions," while the "surroundings" take on "positive ions."

Here, a new relationship between the "image" and the "surroundings" is established, akin to the relationship between text and the spaces between lines in a novel. Just as the meaning space of text generates a psychological space behind the spaces between lines, Zhou's pictorial space seeks to establish a similar relationship between the "image" and its "surroundings." He does not draw boundary lines on the canvas because, in his view, while the "image" has boundaries, the space in which it exists does not. This grand and rare attempt to unify the "finite pictorial space" of the "image" with the "infinite pictorial space" of the "surroundings" is where the essential significance and allure of Zhou's works lie.

■ Exhibition ■
At this Artland Gallery exhibition, we will showcase new lithograph prints and monotype works. Approximately 30 works will be displayed, ranging in size from large pieces of about 60×90 cm to smaller ones of about 20×25 cm. We invite you to experience the "unique pictorial space created by the unification of finite and infinite space" in Zhou's works.

Furthermore, we will hold the following exhibition lecture on the opening day, and we encourage many to attend: Exhibition Lecture: "Why Prints?!!" Expressive Power What are prints? Why prints? An artist who has continued to express through printmaking will delve into the source of this expressive power. What kind of discussion will unfold? Look forward to it.

Date: Saturday, January 10, 2003, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Venue: Artland Gallery
Lecturer: Zhou Hao
Admission: Free

Zhou Hao - On the Occasion of My Second Solo Exhibition

This marks my second solo exhibition in Marugame. The first one was held in the spring of 2000, with a focus on prints. Initially, I intended for this exhibition to be centered around drawings. However, as I selected works from the 70-plus prints I had created since 2000, I found that there were too many I couldn't leave out. As a result, this exhibition has once again ended up being predominantly focused on prints.

I started working with printmaking in my second year of art school, which means it's been 16 years now (I originally started as a painter). Recently, I've been drawing more and more, and I noticed an interesting change. When I paint, even though I open a paint box with dozens of different colors, I find myself only using two or three colors. This seems to be related to my many years of working with printmaking.

Naturally, printmaking involves creating images through plates. When I want to add lines or shapes to the composition, instead of drawing directly on the surface, I go through the trouble of making a plate, applying ink, and then transferring it to the paper. The plate in printmaking is not fundamentally different from a painter's brush or paint in terms of function, but creating a single plate requires considerable effort. You can't use a plate as freely as a brush or paint.
In practice, when making a print, I always try to cover the effect of four or five plates with just two or three. The mentality of how to express more with less applies equally when the plate takes the form of a tube of paint. I always feel that when I can express something well within the limitations of printmaking, a greater freedom is promised within those constraints.

Another attraction of printmaking is the so-called element of surprise or chance. Of course, with experience, I can predict certain effects to some extent. However, despite the artist's control, the completed print can often transform into something quite different, almost as if it has a life of its own. Some might say, It didn't turn out as expected, so it's a failure.
But I find it far more boring when a work turns out exactly as I envisioned. When evaluating the success or failure of a piece, I often consider how much otherness the plate I created brings to the work.

In recent years, I've come to see all coincidences as inevitable occurrences that come to me at this moment because they were meant to. Looking back, I think the reason most of my works are prints is because I'm deeply drawn to the otherness of the plate.