‘Simplicity’, a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Xu Bin Having trained in the traditional discipline of Chinese ink painting, Xu Bin’s minimalist technique of figurative paintings is characterised by fine detailed Chinese calligraphic strokes that are re-painted with soft layers of colour. Xu is fascinated with the Western technique of “geometric composition” and infuses it in his own work. His present style is a combination of this western aesthetic and Chinese technique. The paintings may at first glance seem familiar but on closer inspection the subtlety of the composition becomes apparent. Xu’s paintings embody a certain solitude and silence, which in a modern, visually overloaded world, is at once comforting and lonely. The artist believes that ink painting conforms to his own character. He is a quiet person, but drawing insects and other creatures gives his paintings vitality. The insects that appear in Xu Bin’s latest collection come from youthful reminiscences intertwined with the artist’s immersion in the study of classical Chinese ink paintings as a child. In particular, the butterfly makes frequent appearances, often confined in cages or behind curtains. The trapped butterfly is symbolic of the position of women in Chinese history. With life often limited by rules and restrictions freedom for women was a rare commodity. They were in a way just like the butterfly: beautiful but ultimately fragile. Some of Xu Bin’s paintings also contain an element of subtle humour within them. For example, in one piece a turtle is surrounded by a range of rocks. The humorous expression on the turtle’s face is one of confusion of how to escape the rocks, as there is no passageway. Obviously, this can also have symbolic meaning. Xu’s collection also takes inspiration from the black and red colours of traditional Chinese lacquer work. The empty space around the objects and insects plays an important part in the comprehension of the pieces, for it is within this expanse where the imagination of the viewer alights. 反璞歸真 徐邠最初學習中國傳統工筆畫，他細致的具象畫技術以精細入微的筆觸為特征，而這些筆觸又被層層積水積色再次烘襯。徐邠著迷于西方的構成藝術，并將其注入自己的作品。他現有的風格正是這種中國繪畫技法和西方審美學相結合的產物。這些畫作初見也許給人以似曾相識的感覺，但走近細看，構局的微妙就躍然紙上。 徐邠的畫作似乎是某種孤獨和安靜的具體化，這種孤獨和安靜在現代超負荷運轉的世界中是一種立刻能使人感同身受的安慰和孤獨感。他相信水墨畫與他自身的性格是一致的。畫如其人，徐邠亦是個安靜的人，畫中昆蟲和其他的生物卻給予了他的畫生命力。 在徐邠近作中出現的昆蟲來源于他對少年時代的懷念和學習傳統水墨畫時沉浸在草蟲帶來的不可言說的愉悅感。其中蝴蝶以很高的頻率出現在他的新畫中，它們時常受困在籠中或是藏于簾后。被困的蝴蝶是中國舊時女子地位的象征。她們的一生常常受制于禮數教條，自由遙不可及。在某些方面恰似蝴蝶，美而脆弱。 一些微妙的幽默也潛藏于徐邠的畫作。例如一幅作品中一只烏龜被一列巖石包圍，因為本無出口，烏龜的臉上帶著困惑的幽默表情。在這里，象征性的內含不言而喻。 徐邠的這一系列中的對于黑色和紅色運用的靈感來源于中國古代傳統的漆器。主體周圍的留白及昆蟲的出現對于作品的理解有著非常重要的作用，他們給了觀者廣闊的想象空間。