After five solo exhibitions organized at the A2Z Art Gallery since 2015, Ma Desheng presents « White dream, black souls ». The exhibition is divided into two parts：New opus of original abstract vinylic paintings in dialogue with bronze sculptures (rooms 1 & 2) and an exceptional selection of ink on paper work from the 1980s which never shown before (room 3).
These works are the result of Ma Desheng’s research during two years, marking the new stage in the career of the artist, who is almost 70 years old. Ma Desheng’s new pictorial works reveal the aesthetic inspired from his earlier career when white and black were applied together on paper, then turn into wonderful ink works during 1970 to 1992.
Ma Desheng dips his brushes into three colors: black, white and grey, to restore the lifeblood of Qi once again. For the artist, Black is the queen of color; white is the king of nuances and Grey is the color to reveal abstract shapes. According to different points of view, the shape could be interpreted as the balance of rocky bodies or the dancing venus, both are important elements for the artist.
Renovating the use of the traditional pictorial practice, Ma Desheng interprets the moving illusions in space, that figurative art form is well established by the artist. The gesture freed from any traditional technique is mastered and becomes more vivid. Abstract shapes are created under the brush to find the absolute balance between Fullness and Emptiness; between soul and substance. Taoist philosophy is applied by Ma Desheng to transfer his energy into drawings while creating meaning. The figurative forms then turn into elements and fill in the whole space. On the contrary, Emptiness is synonymous with the absence of form, giving way to dreams and imagination.
Created in the 1980s, seven ink on paper works will be shown for the first time in the gallery on the third floor. Abstract paintings with lines made from big brushes, the vitality of the gesture and the stylization of landscape demonstrate his anti-academic creation period until 1992.
Born in China and living in France, Ma Desheng is a historical artist represented by the gallery since 2015. Rising to fame in the late 1970s in China as one of the founders of the group « Xing Xing », Ma Desheng’s works are in major public collections such the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, Uk), the British Museum (London, UK), the Pompidou Center (Paris, France) etc,.
