The artwork features a vibrant, abstract composition dominated by warm shades of red and brown. The canvas is filled with irregular, overlapping shapes that resemble geological formations or weathered terrain. Delicate lines and textures crisscross the surface, creating a sense of depth and movement. The overall style suggests an expressionistic, almost improvisational approach, with the artist using diverse techniques such as layering, scraping, and dripping to build up the intricate surface. This dynamic and textural painting captures a sense of primal, elemental forces at play, reflecting the artist's exploration of the natural world and its raw, powerful beauty. ...
Dan Zhu ( b. 1985, Shenyang, China) lives and works in The Hague, Netherlands. She was the artist in residence at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam (2018-2019). Recent solo exhibitions include: Ferris Wheel Before Dawn, Tabula Rasa Gallery (Beijing, 2023); I thought it was dead, it thought it’s spring, Tabula Rasa Gallery (London, 2022); Night into Nights, Coca Award, Kunstinstituut Melly (Rotterdam, 2021); There is no size, Studio Continuo (Amsterdam, 2018). Recent group exhibitions include: Tabula Rasa: Unveiled, No.9 Cork Street (London, 2023); TERRA (Burgundy, 2023); Paper Trails, Mendes Wood DM (Retranchement, 2023); Through Frozen Soil, Desert and Glacier, the 5th Global Overseas Chinese Artists Exhibition, He Xiangning Art Museum (Shenzhen, 2023); NADA Miami 2022, NADA Miami Art Fair (Miami, 2022); Départ, Galerie Maurits van de Laar (The Hague, 2022).
Dan Zhu works across the medium of drawings, paintings, and murals. Her works are widely collected by public institutions and private collections, including the NOG Collectie of Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Schunck Museum, Ekard Collection Pereira Collection, and C.o.C.A Foundation (Collectors of Contemporary Art, Rotterdam), just to name a few. Zhu is the winner of C.o.C.A. Award (2020) and the Dutch Royal Modern Painting Prize (2020)
Her mural painting commissioned by SCHUNCK, was completed in 2021, Heerlen, the Netherlands.
Zhu studied at the Kunst and Design University in Hessen, Germany (2010-2020) and at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, Netherlands (2018-2019). ...
Tabula Rasa Gallery is based in Beijing's 798 art district. Established in 2015, it aims to promote both Chinese and international contemporary artists through exhibitions, talks, research and publication. The gallery name is Latin for 'blank state'. In philosophical discourse, it refers to the idea that our knowledge comes from our experiences and education, all participants are born in a Tabula Rasa state. Tabula Rasa hopes that the exhibitions they present can subvert viewers’ preconceptions, creating conditions for fresh artistic experiments. ...
