Exhibition Preface

Artelli, the pioneering multi-dimensional premium art space, invites contemporary artist, Chen Wei Zhu to present The Madness Never Ends. The collection features series of paintings and sculptures.

Born in Tainan in 2000, Zhu studied art at the National Kaohsiung Normal University and graduated in 2023. His work caught the eye of a gallery, leading to their confidence in signing him at the young age of 21. His early reputation was built on his insight into contemporary sensibilities and pop culture, reflected in his distinctive drawing style. Since then, Zhu has embarked on a professional journey as an emerging talent, and his work is highly anticipated by both Taiwanese and international art collectors.

As a new-generation artist raised in the urban jungles, Zhu advances the notion of pop art through inspirations of fine art, digital media, and popular culture. His distinctive artistic form and style superimposes authentic touch upon current mass culture, crafting his own narrative in pop art.

Zhu’s work delves into the cultural lexicon and symbols of social media, fashion trends, and consumer behavior. For this exhibition, Zhu has reimagined classic masterpieces through the practice of appropriation, seeking to reconstruct their narratives with humor and entertaining storylines. He brought the mythical Dionysus – the god of wine and ecstasy, from Greek mythology into the contemporary scene, offering a third-person perspective, akin to the way we engage with social media today. Zhu explores themes of identity, values, and authenticity, often mirroring these contemplations through the lens of prehistoric giants, while satirizing modern consumer consciousness using the image of a dog chasing after trends.

Boldly infused with vibrant colors and minimalistic outlines, Zhu's canvases are consistently saturated with populist and commercial advertising aesthetics. His work not only upholds the legacy of 1960s Pop Art, but also overlays it with screen candy colors emblematic of the Y2K millennium pop color palette, distinguishing him from his predecessors.

Zhu embraces an artistic approach that deviates from traditional school-taught painting techniques. He opts to work with acrylic paint, incorporating a solid foundation and the flat brush painting technique. His use of simplified, fragmented brushstrokes harkens back to the aesthetics of MS Paint software, allowing his work to mirror the reality of the digital age.

Entering this exhibition, you are invited to dwell among Zhu’s creations of boundless surreal imaginings, venture into his transcendent world of ultra-contemporary Pop Art.

Artist Statement

My primary medium of artistic expression is acrylic paint, employed through extensive flat brush techniques. I work by layering thin amounts of paint to retain the canvas texture, incorporating misaligned lines that spill from the composition itself. In my earlier works, these lines disrupted the scene's original structure. For my recent pieces, I have reimagined their purpose—now, these lines complement colors, brushstrokes to merge blocks of hue, layered lines, and fragmented pigments. They stimulate the visual impact reminiscent of the 1960s Pop Art.

As a 21st-century artist, I have easy access to social resources, swiftly dabbling into a great amount of information. However, this constant influx often results in a cultural disorientation, despite my exposure to both existing cultural foundations and new age impacts. This aftermath positions me as an intermediary and nomad navigating the interplay between established cultures and new influences.

Therefore, beneath the vibrant and joyful scenes in my artwork, lie elements of sharp questioning and unease, striving to reflect life's absurd impacts and the vanity of human desires. Saturated and restless beasts, alongside smiling human figures and omnipresent flames, engage in clashes across the canvas, fostering intertextuality among these objects. This interplay results in a chaotic tug-of-war, offering viewers a wild and extravagant feast, both audacious and chaotic in its presentation.

 

Chen Wei Zhu (Tainan, b.2000)

Graduated from the Department of Fine Arts, National Kaohsiung Normal University.

Solo Exhibition
2023 "Garden of eden", Maison Ozmen, Paris
2023 "IN FLAMES", 333Gallery, Taipei Breeze Nan Shan
2022 "99 PROBLEMS", 333Gallery, Taipei

Group exhibition
2023 "EXPRESSIONS" SR GALERIE, Paris
2023  "COAST", Stupid Krap, Gold Coast
2022  "Being and Time", PowerLong Art Center, Shanghai
2022  "Leaves May Fall", Maison Ozmen, Paris
2022  "Above & Beyond Kawaii ", Dorothy Circus,  London, UK, Rome
2021  "Art New Voice", Taichung City Dadun Cultural Center, Taichung
2020  "Tonight, I want to come...", 116 Art Center, Kaohsiung
2019  "Press the pause button at that moment", 116 Art Center, Kaohsiung
2018  "Between Gradual and To", Kaohsiung Cultural Center, Kaohsiung

Art Fair
2023/11 Westbund Art Fair, West Bund Art Center, Shanghai
2023/10 ART TAIPEI, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei
2023/6 Affordable Art Fair Shanghai, Shanghai Exhibition Center, Shanghai
2022/10 ART TAIPEI, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei
2022/5 TAIPEI DANGDAI, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei
2022/3 ART TAINAN, Silks Place, Tainan
2022/1 ART FUTURE, Grand Hyatt Taipei, Taipei
2021/12 OneOffs NFT International Art Fair, W Taipei, Taipei
2021/11 ART KAOHSIUNG, City Suites Chenai, Kaohsiung
2021/9 ART FORMOSA, Eslite Hotel, Taipei

Auction
2022 “BREAK IN EMERGENCY 3”, 4BYSIX Group Exhibition, London, Online news coverage

Publish
2023 Limited edition print by Stupid Krap
2022 Limited edition print by Stupid Krap