Yu Nancheng

Share

Share

Add fave View in room

About the artwork

Yu Nancheng's “Shanghai” is in line with his other series of paintings in terms of concept, technique and the use of color. He honors the city which is a national monument and famous for being the cultural hub of China, using his unique contemporary technique. He uses substantial layers of paint and strong symbolic colors to describe the iconic aspect of Shanghai - as it manages to preserve history, culture and tradition whilst keeping up with industrialisation and modernisation. Yu chooses oil as his medium of choice, as it is also a traditional technique that has managed to preserve its utility throughout the ages. The artist depicts the city by creating multi-layered textures atop a vast grey expanse - this could epitomize Wu Chi - a Chinese name for “grand, ultimate space” where nothing exists, yet the potential for everything is contained therein.

About the artist

Yu Nancheng, born in 1956 in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, has made significant contributions to the art world over his 40+ year career. Currently based in Shanghai, his works have been exhibited extensively across China and internationally, with collections in the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Japan, and various Middle Eastern countries. Yu's innovative use of palette knife application to create layered textures has transformed Chinese oil painting, blending traditional Chinese and Western techniques to define his distinctive style.