Subjective Realm: Between Form and Flow: Chen Duxi

"Life is both complex and simple. Should we immerse ourselves in emotions or yield to the laws of nature? Look at water—unwavering, fearless, taking shape in union or dispersal, never extinguished." 

— Chen Duxi

Fu Qiumeng Fine Art is pleased to present Subjective Realm: Between Form and Flow, a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Chen Duxi(b. 1982). This exhibition features 23 exquisite works from the ChiYi 持颐 series, rendered in meticulous Gongbi 工笔 techniques (a Chinese traditional painting style that uses fine and controlled lines to define forms) on silk with vibrant mineral pigments. These paintings construct a multidimensional world where fluidity, eternity, and the fleeting moment converge. Running from January 4 to February 1, 2025, with an opening reception on January 9 from 5 to 8 PM, Subjective Realm marks a significant continuation and evolution of Chen's artistic practice following his acclaimed first solo exhibition of the Er Gong 尔躬 series at FQM’s New York space two years ago. 

Chen’s profound sensitivity to the expressive power of linear brushwork allows him to capture the essence of nature itself - whether the flow of water, the drift of sediment, or the surge of magma, transforming transient movements into visual metaphors. Enhanced by the layering of mineral pigments, the works exude an ethereal texture and profound spiritual depth. This meticulous depiction of natural phenomena and their underlying spirit makes each piece a contemplative exploration of life and the mysteries of time. 

Similar to other works from the Contemplate series, Towards Remote Antiquity emerges from an immersive, all-encompassing mode of observation. This piece depicts a small waterfall in the Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon, where the ceaseless flow of water has smoothed the rocks over time. The once unyielding stone is transformed into surfaces so polished that the artist humorously likens them to “ice cream scooped with a spoon.” The rippling patterns in the painting depict water as both falling and rising, capturing the optical illusion of upward flow—a phenomenon known as the motion aftereffect, triggered by prolonged observation—while the fragmented portrayal of rocks further obscures spatial relationships.

For Chen Duxi, Remote Antiquity transcends the idea of “antiquity.” It embodies a primal clarity, a journey from raw, chaotic impressions to vivid, articulate expression. Chen draws inspiration from the stone carvings of the Wei and Jin dynasties (220–420 CE), which he sees as capturing the birth of a new form of artistic expression. These early works, unbound by rigid systems, radiate a raw, unrefined vitality. In much the same way, Remote Antiquity reimagines the waterfall—an enduring motif in Chinese art—through the lens of the artist’s personal visual experience.

In To be Simple and Thin, the flowing lines in this artwork resemble streams of water washing over the canvas. Varying in thickness, they intersect or overlap, aggregating to a sense of vitality. This piece draws inspiration from the artist's encounter with an old cypress tree. As he approaches the tree, it ceases to be an independent, distant image and dissolves into a world of interweaving details and textures. Part of the Contemplate series, the lines rushing across the canvas captures the fluid essence of life, leaving traces that flow through the subject itself. Three distinct planes carve out sudden depths amidst the textures, yet the lines do not halt; instead, they continue to stretch endlessly onward. The contrast between the ethereal quality of the lines and the solidity of the planes, as well as the delicacy of the lines against the fullness of the overall composition, creates a dynamic interplay. This coexistence of subtlety and substance, lightness and fullness, reflects the complex relationship between the individual and nature.