IMG_7462-HDR.jpg
IMG_7280-HDR.jpg
IMG_7412-HDR.jpg
IMG_7364-HDR.jpg
IMG_7388-HDR.jpg
IMG_7368-HDR.jpg
IMG_7293-HDR.jpg
IMG_7517.jpg
IMG_7531-HDR.jpg
IMG_7440-HDR.jpg
IMG_7555-HDR.jpg
IMG_7486.jpg
IMG_7454-HDR.jpg

Lightness of being

Artists | Duan Yifan, Hang Chunhui, Hou Yong, Liu Guoqiang, Liu Zifeng, Yan Dafu, Zhang Renjie
Curator | Zhou Tong
Date I October 8 to November 19, 2023
3D, 349 Jiangxi Middle Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai


Milan Kundera, a literary star who influenced the youth worldwide, has passed away, taking with him the memories of the Cold War era and the ups and downs of that generation. Many people lamented not having seen the Berlin Wall with their own eyes, while even more people regret not having encountered their own Juliette Binoche. The various plots of literature and movies are hidden in the subconscious, occasionally enveloping us in the reality, making us want to completely let go of everything and bear the weight of life.

Upon careful reading, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"( Milan Kundera, 1984) especially in its original text, "being", translated as existence, is more accurate and better reflects Milan Kundera's true thoughts after his passage through middle age. Compared to the fleeting moments in life, most people spend their days following routines, doing their chores and responsibilities, experiencing love, studying, working, and encountering occasional minor conflicts. It’s like the pandemic become history in the blink of an eye, but that brief but heavy pressure makes many people feel like the world is collapsing, leading them to seek escape through emigration, new relationships, or even a change of environment. However, truly facing the ordinary life that seems weightless maybe where the real essence of seeking true taste of life lies.

Artists are no exception. Faced with a blank canvas, how can they find unresolved questions by filling it with brushes and paint? In other words, the subtle handling of each line or color block is what cannot be separated from the work itself. Hang Chunhui, Hou Yong, Zhang Renjie, Liu Zifeng, Liu Guoqiang, Yan Dafu, and Duan Yifan - each individual’s artistic style, stage, direction, and thoughts are different, but they are all addressing the current challenges. From this perspective, the weight carried in each day of creation is invisibly borne by each person, but the accumulation is not easy. Yet, when it comes to each new day, it is not overwhelming. In the end, their works exhibit a firm and calm strength, unfolding with every rise and fall and every trace.

The tension of dramatic eruption is the driving force that attracts attention to many so-called works of art. However, for those artists who choose to answer the relationship between themselves and their work through daily efforts, it holds even greater significance in the post-pandemic recovery. The quiet creators, in their calm exploration and advancement, experience the subtle changes, reflections, and discoveries in each piece of their creation. Through the act of creation, they transcend the spiritual realm, feeling the essence of existence in the lightness of being.

About the Curator
Zhou Tong, a contemporary art collector, curator, and market observer in China.

About the Artists

Duan Yifan, born in 1989 in Zhengzhou, Henan, currently lives and works in Hangzhou. He obtained his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Chinese lacquer art from the China Academy of Art in 2012 and 2015, respectively. His solo exhibitions include "Magic Mirror Stone" at 118Art House, Shanghai, in 2023; "Amber" at Gong Gallery, Changsha, Hunan, in 2022; and "One/YI" at Lion Art Gallery, Hong Kong, in 2020.

Hang Chunhui, born in 1976 in Anhui, currently lives and works in Beijing. He earned his Master's degree from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2005 and a Ph.D. from the Chinese Academy of Arts in 2011. His significant solo exhibitions include "Ananke/Casualness - Hang Chunhui Solo Exhibition" at Asia Art Center, Shanghai, in 2022; "The End of This - Hang Chunhui's Art Practice" at Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, in 2020; and "Uncertain Ornament - Hang Chunhui Solo Exhibition" at Asia Art Center, Beijing, in 2019.

Hou Yong, born in 1976 in Beijing, graduated from the Oil Painting Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1999. His solo exhibitions include "Thingscape" at Lucie Chang Fine Arts, Hong Kong, in 2015; "Living Room" at Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing, in 2013; "Hou Yong" at Space Station, Beijing, in 2012; "Water" at Paul Freches Gallery, Paris, in 2009; and "Drowning" at Boers - Li Gallery, Beijing, in 2008.

Liu Guoqiang, born in 1988 in Shandong, graduated from the New Media Department of the China Academy of Art in 2011 and currently lives and works in Hangzhou. His solo exhibitions include "Concentration and Dispersion" at Shiwan Space, Beijing, in 2023; "Profile" at 1000Press, Hangzhou, in 2021; "Reference Object" at Box Museum, Shenzhen, in 2020; "List" at Riverside, Hangzhou, in 2020; "Graphic" at Simple Gallery, Beijing, in 2019; "Open Line" at Imagination Lab, Hangzhou, in 2018; and "Moving Image" at Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, in 2016.

Liu Zifeng, born in 1999, graduated with a bachelor's degree from the China Academy of Art in 2023. His first solo exhibition, "Ring," was held at fake project, Xi'an, in 2022. His recent group exhibitions include "T13: World, Me, Existence" at Zhigu Space, Beijing, in 2023; "Close Your Eyes and See the Sun" at Building 23 Artists Community, Beijing, in 2021; "I Am Still Watching" at Yue Art Museum, Beijing, in 2021; "The Object of Behavior: Daily Practice" at Huer Space, Beijing, in 2021; "Era Stage: Countdown Paradise" at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, in 2021; and "Juvenile State Continuation" at PEARLONA COMMON ROOM Grand Salon, Shanghai, in 2021.

Yan Dafu Born in 1994 in Changde, Hunan, Yan Dafu currently works and lives in Shanghai and Hangzhou. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Oil Painting from Shenyang Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 2016 and completed his Master's degree at Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London in 2020. He is a co-founder of Shanghai's 33ml Offspace. His recent exhibitions include "Floating Dive" at BLANK Gallery, Shanghai, 2023; "Ideal Image" at Wenzhou Era Art Museum, 2023; "Object Migration" at Imagination Lab, Hangzhou, 2023; "Richly Varied" at Qing Ying Art Space, Hangzhou, 2023; "Neglected" at 33ml Offspace, Shanghai, 2022; "Hereditary Territory" at Baolong Art Museum, Shanghai, 2021; and "Free Fall" at 33ml Offspace, Shanghai, 2021.

Zhang Renjie Born in 1994 in Anhui, Zhang Renjie currently works and lives in Hangzhou. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Oil Painting from China Academy of Art in 2019 and is set to complete his Master's degree in Comprehensive Painting from China Academy of Art in 2023. His recent group exhibitions include "T13: World, Me, Existence" at Zhigu Space, Beijing, 2023; and "The 7th John Moore Painting Prize (China) Exhibition" at Shanghai Baolong Art Museum and Qingdao West Sea Art Museum, 2023.