The Art of Sadness as a Sentiment – Expressing the Significance of Cheung Chi Wai’s Artworks<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Yang Xiaoyan<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In any sense, Chi Wai is truly a self-taught artist. Firstly, he did not graduate with a fine art degree; instead, he attained a successful career in finance industry. Secondly, he devoted a considerable amount of time to artistic creation, producing many remarkable art pieces. Thirdly, his works not only maintain a distinctive personal style but also consistently embody a strong sentiment of reality, characterized by a pervasive sense of sadness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chi Wai, as an ordinary individual in the realm of art, rejects the pursuit of pleasance and elegance. He chooses to confront issues in society, critically addressing them and incorporating his concerns in his works. With his spontaneous and expressive brushstrokes, he depicts current scenes, aiming to raise people\u2019s awareness and moral considerations. This indicates that his work is not intended for art appreciation but rather serves as a form of visual alertness and criticism. He avoids indulging in baseless complaints and refuses to limit his expression to personal sorrows. The reason for this, I believe, is that life is always the core of his works. He transforms profound insights gained through his life experience into intense emotions, giving his works an almost innate power, which is precisely the origin of sadness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Facing the changing landscape of China and the world, Chi Wai offers his personal moral judgment with a rare spirit of criticism and a stern attitude. He hopes to use this as a foundation to communicate the principles of universal love and share stories closely related to human nature. His unique life experience makes his art equally unique. I have referred to this uniqueness as the \u201cChi Wai phenomenon”. What I mean is that, at least to date, I have not seen anyone in the art world who approaches art with such intensity, persistence, and wild strokes, and consistently focuses on life and human nature. He allows his works to evolve over time, manifesting changes in emotion along with historical development. Clearly, in our great and ancient nation, there is someone who, with a pure heart, engages in genuine endeavors, paying no heed to others’ opinions, avoiding mundane complaints, or passionless depictions, and instead, infusing sorrow throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examining Chi Wai’s works thematically, many of them are paintings of human expressions. The characters in his paintings always have a gaze that penetrates. Beneath the seemingly frenzied appearance, there is an inherent calmness, even silence. They face their own encounters with the world, silently confronting ongoing hardships and embodying a sense of adversity. His works feature strong color contrasts, often disregarding visual balance and equilibrium, as to elevate the power for desired expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In terms of quantity, Chi Wai has created a large number of works consistently over time, producing new ones every month and every year.\u00a0 However, I have always felt that we should perceive all his works as a whole. What I mean is that his creations possess a high degree of consistency and a strong theme. This has resulted in a unique display of his works as well \u2014 a wall filled with portraits. From a distance, it is a shimmering mass, captivating viewers. Upon closer inspection, they are specific individuals, each staring at you, prompting contemplation, leaving you speechless, engaging you in a dialogue and sharing sadness in that dialogue.\u00a0 Where his works are gathered, they mirror and echo each other, creating a peculiar atmosphere at the scene. The significance of his works truly shines in this echoing atmosphere, allowing sadness to take on a tangible form and directly pointing to the essence of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chi Wai first challenges himself, then embarks on his creative journey from heart, and finally, with a compelling style of expression, embodies sadness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chi Wai\u2019s art is, in essence, an art of Sadness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a preface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Written in Guangzhou on December 9, 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In every sense, Chi Wai is truly a self-taught artist. Firstly, he did not graduate with a fine art degree; instead, he achieved a successful career in the finance industry. Secondly, he devoted a considerable amount of time to artistic creation, producing many remarkable art pieces. Thirdly, his works not only maintain a distinctive personal style but also consistently embody a strong sentiment of reality, characterized by a pervasive sense of sadness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-2518","comments","type-comments","status-publish","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiwaistudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments\/2518"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiwaistudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiwaistudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/comments"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chiwaistudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments\/2518\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiwaistudio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}