The Opposite House Showcases Peng Wei's Modern Chinese Paintings

12-17-2009

Autumn Grazing by Peng Wei

Beijing, December 16, 2009) - RedBox Studio presents two painting installations by Peng Wei, known for her delicate ink color paintings on silk and paper, at The Opposite House beginning January. In addition to the hotel's permanent collection of unique pieces by noted Asian artists, Peng Wei's exhibition is part of The Opposite House's on-going quarterly presentations of contemporary Chinese works by young artists.

This showcase features Peng Wei's recent painting experiments with a third dimension. Rock Garden is a series of Chinese scholars' rocks painted on transparent panels, creating an ethereal garden of vestiges of a scholarly past. Bodies is a series of rice paper female forms adorned with refined images imbued with aesthetic sensitivity.

"Refined, playful and engaging, Peng Wei's three-dimensional installations explore a different way of presenting paintings," said Katherine Don, director of RedBox Studio.

Combining imagery of traditional literati painting with the modern forms and expressions of everyday life, Peng Wei's works reveal a playful expression of intimacy found within traditional Chinese culture. Her art both commemorates a bygone era of the scholarly tradition and represents the subtle elegance and refinement of contemporary culture.

"We are delighted to host Peng Wei's work because it fits well into our natural atrium stone garden and enhances the minimalist style as well as soft feminine lines of The Opposite House," says general manager Anthony Ross.

Peng Wei is a graduate of the East Asian Department at Nankai University, Tianjin. Her works have been exhibited widely between Paris, New York, Hong Kong and Beijing and are held in international private collections. She currently lives and works in Beijing.

RedBox Studio (Beijing)
RedBox Studio is an art and design studio providing a unique combination of graphic design and art advisory services that promote contemporary art in China. As a private organization, the studio works with artists, collectors and institutions worldwide to facilitate acquisitions, exhibitions, art programs, and publications. Katherine Don and George Chang, former directors of New York galleries focusing on contemporary Chinese art, co-founded RedBox Studio in 2005. All of the Studio's ongoing initiatives serve as a bridge for cultural exchange between East and West and aim to foster art appreciation for the local community.

Recent projects focus on the display of works on paper and contemporary Chinese ink painting, including the exhibition of established artist Xu Lei in both Beijing and New York; and the first international exhibition of the Columbia University Neiman Print Studies Center collection, including works by artists Kara Walker, Kiki Smith and William Kentridge at the Today Art Museum in Beijing.

Swire Hotels
Swire Hotels has been created to manage intriguing urban hotels in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the United Kingdom, providing a luxury experience for travelers who seek individuality, style and personalized service.

The Opposite House opened in 2008 and was followed by the opening of a 117-room small intimate hotel, The Upper House, in Pacific Place, Hong Kong, in October 2009. Swire Hotels will open a 345-room lifestyle business hotel called EAST in Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong, in January 2010.

In the United Kingdom, Swire Hotels is developing a collection of stylish boutique hotels in interesting English towns and cities to be launched in 2010.

About The Opposite House
The Opposite House is located in The Village at Sanlitun-a vibrant new open-plan shopping, dining and entertainment destination developed by Swire Properties. The hotel's 99 guest studios, including 9 spacious suites and a penthouse duplex with a 2600 square foot roof terrace, are amongst the largest in Beijing. More than half of all the studios are over 750 square feet and all are strikingly simple with natural wooden floors and subtle touches of Chinese décor.

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