Inner Mongolian Artist Zhuo Xiong Launches Exhibition With Exclusive Theatre Performance

This summer, at Maison Pan, nestled within the age-old vaults of the National Gallery, Mongolian artist Zhuo Xiong will present Gone With the Wind, a new series of 10 paintings, offering a unique cultural perspective to London's multifaceted summer of art.

Zhuo, who currently lives in New York, was born in Inner Mongolia and, against all odds, became a classically trained artist who graduated with a Master's in Arts from the Department of Painting at RCA, in 2018.

This unprecedented collection of work showcases Zhuo's latest artistic iteration, one that continues to be deeply influenced by his Mongolian roots and Western education, to create complex cultural narratives that are, at the same time, deeply introspective.

Chinese assimilation policies, intense urbanisation, personal data breaches, integrating as an outsider are all themes that in the past have inspired Zhuo's work. This series of paintings explores the conflicts between cultures and religions, the fear and loneliness of unfamiliar environments, and the support and companionship of family.

Growing up in Inner Mongolia, Zhuo witnessed first-hand the sharp ethnic conflicts between the Han and Mongolian ethnic groups, driven by their differences in attitudes toward tradition and sense of faith. These two vastly different cultures left a profound imprint on the artist during his childhood. Selecting and integrating elements from both, he created his new series of works.

The pieces in this exhibition are fragments of the artist's childhood memories, emphasizing how childhood experiences shape entire lives. They incorporate his sense of admiration for elements of both Mongolian and Han cultures and ways of life: the carefree lifestyle and reverence for nature of the Mongolian nomads and the Hans' fighting spirit, determination, and progressive view that ‘women hold up half the sky.'

For this collection, the artist uses a very rare pigment which is particularly scarce on the market, therefore rendering each piece uniquely exceptional. Zhuo's painting techniques are remarkable too, as they are the result of extensive training in a diverse array of painting mediums, mixed in with his Mongolian background: a synthesis of Asian and Western history of art, in which the artist's perception of materials and his reinterpretation of art history is used to create fictional stories that critique contemporary issues.

In his works, Zhuo wishes to convey that painting mediums are not just limited to those traditionally taught in art schools and that there are many other forms to explore. The works in this exhibition feature felt and casein, with felt being integral in Inner Mongolian life, and for the artist, a medium to capture and reflect thoughts and traces of life.  Using a mixture of glue and a cheese-based product applied to the felt, Zhuo draws an initial sketch on the surface while the product is still wet before spraying layers of paint over top with an airbrush. His technique is largely impacted by the Dunhuang murals.

At the exhibition's private view, guests will have the chance to experience an exclusive theatrical piece, an alternative visual interpretation of Zhuo's artworks, directed by Creative Consultant, Curator and Xiong's exhibition partner, Julia Zheng, whose background is in theatre as a Creative Producer.

The accompanying performance revolves around the dynamic between the traditional Mongolian style of nomadic living and industrialization in modern society. Directed by XinXi Du, the piece also features specially commissioned traditional Mongolian music by Xiri Muren, who plays on a horse head fiddle hand-crafted by the musician himself. His music is also heavily influenced by the genres of metal and psychedelic rock.

The exhibition's exclusive setting, within the artist-run community studio Maison Pan, gives visitors a unique opportunity to explore a hidden and historical gem nestled in the heart of central London: the 19th Century vaults underneath Whitcomb Street, which are Grade II listed and were previously used as The National Gallery's archives.

Gone With the Wind will be taking place at Maison Pan, from 25th July – 15th August. For further info, please visit Zhuo's website.

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