May 16 – June 15, 2024
Festivity offered a visual paradise of fantasy and myth, folding a contemporary Neoclassical and Rococo sensibility into a sly infusion of Surrealism.
Works by Deng Xiao in his solo exhibition with VillageOneArt offered viewers a visual paradise, with elements of fantasy and myth that alluded to universal themes. Espousing a contemporary take on Neoclassical and Rococo styles, and combining these with a clever infusion of Surrealism, works on view — including Passing Away and The Impermanence of Black and White — provided a new lens through which to consider traditional and modern forms of beauty. For this solo show with the gallery, the artist presented an ambitious suite of imagery in dialogue with themes in the art historical canon delving into the realms of heaven and earth: universal topics captured here in a brilliant range of contour, light and shadow.
Natural themes extended into various elements in his paintings, with delicately and realistically rendered flower petals and blooms and natural elements such as water and clouds complementing images of figures and angels, centered in the picture plane, as was visible in Passing Away. Costumes and visages of figures presented in these fantastical tableaux evoked the stylistic qualities found in more classical European painting styles from painters working in the Northern Italian and Flemish traditions, while sly hints toward modern fabrics and party balloons filled out the spectacle of his monumental compositions. Grand and sweeping in scope and subject matter, Xiao’s visionary painting style marked a new adaptation of classical subject matter firmly — and skillfully — rooted in the contemporary.
Deng Xiao combined different artistic styles in the paintings to create new meanings and creativity. This fusion allowed for the interplay of traditional and modern, objective and irrational elements. It challenged traditional notions, broke the boundaries of art, and created captivating and thought-provoking works. This combination also evoked new experiences and feelings in terms of aesthetics. By merging classical aesthetics with surrealistic fantasies, Deng Xiao created astonishing, contradictory, and ambiguous works that stimulated viewers’ imagination and reflection.
Works in the Exhibition
Festivity was on view at VillageOneArt, 150 West 25th Street, Suite 403, New York, from May 16 to June 15, 2024. For inquiries regarding available works by Deng Xiao, please contact info@villageoneart.com.