What do Chinese dragons, robots, Aztec glyphs and brocade fabric have in common? All are alluded to and may be detected in the paintings and carved wooden sculptures seen here. Fan Dongwang's beautifully constructed exhibits bring together the animalistic creatures of ancient mythologies and humanoid fabrications of futuristic dreams in a manner that seems both potent and benign.
Small wooden carvings hang like masks on the wall waiting to be painted by the viewer's imagination. Timber off cuts, odd pieces of laminated wood and doweling are arranged, carved and smoothed into abstractions that seem to shape shift as we view them. For example, at first glance Descendant - Shout resembles a poker machine with carved levers and slots and a round hole which dispenses our winnings. Look again and the aperture appears like a mouth, the rods are eyes and the slot a nose. Turn around again and it's a hybrid animal, its interpretation dependent on your own hopes or fears. And the sculpture Descendant - White Figure is at once an ancient god with elaborate head-dress and a space ship from 'Tatooine'.
Fan Dongwang is able to transform his sculptures into paintings without any loss of dimensionality. He offers a variety of renditions of the originals in mustard yellow or turquoise blue on cherry red grounds that emulate brocade. The precision employed by the artist creates optical illusions of volume in space as forms project out from, or fall into, the painting's surface. The above mentioned Shout appears less like a vending machine when depicted in blue on a red floral ground in the small painting Descendant - Face, then its mechanical visage returns in the larger image Descendant - Sculptural Painting where its yellow form seems to float above the red ground and casts a strong black shadow. Other sculptural forms hover independently and cast a dark shadows in different directions to create a spatial ambiguity that enhances the 'mystical' aspect of the work.
White Figure is also reincarnated in painted form. Its most impressive visage is found in Descendant - Sea Creature where it dons horns and is flanked by spiked cogs-cum-sea urchins. The trio may be interpreted as menacing with their mechanical appearance and strong shadows pushing them into our space. However the dusty pink hues and perfection of paint application dissolves all apprehension allowing us to come close and appreciating the skill owned by the artist.
This is an excellent exhibition, not just for its intriguing subject matter but for the high quality of the work. Fan Dongwang respects his medium, his audience and his talent. He mixes traditional with contemporary, combines almost forgotten ancient concepts with the yet to be realized futuristic dreams. His works hold truth and fantasy in equilibrium because they are well considered and constructed. See this work and happily wonder about it long after you leave the gallery.