GUAN WEI
We acknowledge and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional custodians of the Country upon which Martin Browne Contemporary stands.
© Martin Browne Contemporary © All images copyright of the artist.
This catalogue is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.
COMPILER: Bianca Luciano
COLOUR SEPARATIONS: Spitting Image, Sydney
PHOTOGRAPHY: Zuo La 左拉
Front Cover: Through the screen no. 5, 2024, acrylic on canvas, diptych 98 x 87 cm
LIST OF WORKS
Through the screen no. 1, 2024, acrylic on canvas, diptych 98 x 87 cm
Through the screen no. 2, 2024, acrylic on canvas, diptych 98 x 87 cm
Through the screen no. 3, 2024, acrylic on canvas, diptych 98 x 87 cm
Through the screen no. 4, 2024, acrylic on canvas, diptych 98 x 87 cm
Through the screen no. 5, 2024, acrylic on canvas, diptych 98 x 87 cm
Through the screen no. 6, 2024, acrylic on canvas, diptych 98 x 87 cm
Through the screen no. 7, 2024, acrylic on canvas, diptych 98 x 87 cm
Through the screen no. 8, 2024, acrylic on canvas, diptych 98 x 87 cm
Rhapsody in Blue, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 10 panels 162 x 254 cm
Not here, not now, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 10 panels 162 x 254 cm
The Glory and the Dream No. 2, 2024, acrylic on card, 33 x 25 cm
The Glory and the Dream No. 1, 2024, acrylic on card, 33 x 25 cm
The Glory and the Dream No. 4, 2024, acrylic on card, 33 x 25 cm
The Glory and the Dream No. 3, 2024, acrylic on card, 33 x 25 cm
坐在浴缸里的人凝视着屏风。一幅幅不同的屏风，邀请观者进入一个个不同又独特的 动态世界。宇宙里星星跳动，与遥远的光点相互交流。地理图上的河流流动，山脉隆 起。屏风中有古代人、现代人、东方人、西方人，他们有的带着面具，有的只是一个
身影。时间在这里变得有弹性。跨越屏风，进入怎样的境界？是星辰之间的虚空，还 是古老城市的繁华街巷，是战场上的硝烟，是宁静的田园风光。坐在浴缸里的人成为 现实与虚拟之间的纽带，连着多元世界的每一个角落。心灵在这个看似小小的空间里 变得无限宽广。
《屏风》这组作品利用不同的屏风在空间中的构成，组成了一个画中有画，层层深 入，是一个万花筒似的神奇迷宫。这里超越了空间的限定，和时间线性的逻辑。使过 去、现在、未来变成了三位一体，意味着过去的复兴、当下的存在、和未来的希望。
也正是这组作品的融合性、流变性和多样性使之充满了生命力。
Through the Screen
Guan Wei 2024
A person seated in the bathtub gazes at various multilayered screens. Each screen beckons the viewer into a different, live and interactive realm. Stars in the galaxy pulsate and interact with distant points of light, while rivers flow and mountains rise on moving maps. On these screens there live ancient people, contemporary people, Easterners and Westerners, some wearing masks, others showing as a solitary figure. Time becomes elastic, prompting this question: when viewing the screens, what realm does one enter? Is it the void between the stars, the bustling streets of an ancient city, a fierce battlefield, or an idyllic scene? The person in the bathtub becomes a link between the real world and the fantasy world, connecting every corner of the multifaceted universe. In this seemingly small and limited space, the mind knows no bounds.
This series of works utilise the composition of multilayered screens representing different realms to construct a magical labyrinth of paintings within paintings, with layers upon layers of meaning and vision, much like a kaleidoscope. It transcends the limitations of space and the logic of linear time, as the past, present, and future merge into a trinity - implying the revival of the past, the existence of the present, and the hope of the future. It is the integration, fluidity and diversity embodied in the works that make the series brim with vitality.
Through the screen no. 1, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Through the screen no. 2, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Through the screen no. 3, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Through the screen no. 4, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Through the screen no. 5, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Through the screen no. 6, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Through the screen no. 7, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
Through the screen no. 8, 2024
Acrylic on canvas
2024
100 年前，美国作曲家乔治格什温，在 1924 年创作出了他的《蓝色狂想曲》并获得了
巨大成功。由于作品中采用了美国黑人歌曲和灵歌的布鲁斯（blues ）爵士的曲调， 故最终采用了《蓝色狂想曲》之名。
由于乐曲中爵士音乐的强烈的切分节奏和滑音效果，赋予了这部作品一种与众不同的 色彩。如抒情以戏剧性、舞蹈性与歌唱性的对置。曲调时而强劲有力、慌张不安，时 而又宽广流畅、温柔感伤，最后以一个渐强的和弦辉煌的结束了全曲。
在这里，我的《蓝色狂想曲》借鉴了格式温的《兰色狂蓝色》之名。并且做了两次转 换。一是从听觉转换到了视觉上，二是从美国转换到了澳大利亚。这里既有在绘画上
追求一种音乐性，也有像大师格什温致敬，并赋予作品一种神秘、欢快，多元的意 义。
本作品是对澳大利亚独特的地理位置大岛、海洋、历史、文化的再次幻想。画面中，
一个大的男孩（象征着澳大利亚），怀中有一个神秘的大鸟。一个金黄色的仙女，指引
着男孩进入梦乡，并开始了海洋之旅。在小船的右边，天使吹起了海螺，左边的牡蛎 小姐张开了它的贝壳。上面的阿波罗奏起了美妙的音乐，一条苍龙飞舞。海神驾着战 车在海面上疾驶而来，海中的螃蟹举旗欢悦。男孩头上的原住民、神秘的 UFO、右上 飞来的天使，在海上构成了欢快、和谐、神奇的狂想曲。
我总是想，艺术最好的状态是向着边缘拓展。探索未知的领域，提高我们的认知，开 创新的风格、新的领域。
Rhapsody in Blue
One hundred years ago the American composer George Gershwin composed his Rhapsody in Blue. The word "Rhapsody" in the title alludes to the freedom and joy of the piece, and the word "Blue" refers to the blues and jazz music styles that Gershwin incorporated in this musical composition. I’ve borrowed this title for my new artwork but I have made two changes. One is to convert audio to visual; the other is to take the setting from America to Australia. By doing this, I pursue a musical effect in my painting and pay homage to the great master Gershwin, as well as giving my work a mysterious, joyful, and multifaceted meaning.
The present work is a re-creation of a fantasy concerning Australia's unique geographical location surrounded by oceans, its history and culture. In the painting, the central figure, symbolising Australia, contemplates a large mysterious bird in his arms. A golden fairy helps the boy enter a dream world in which he starts his journey on the ocean. To the right of the boat an angel blows a conch, while on the left, Miss Oyster opens up her shell. On the top right, Apollo plays beautiful music, and a gigantic dragon is flying by. Poseidon, god of the sea and waters, rides his chariot over the sea, and a crab is waving a flag in joy. Three First Nations figures on the boy's head, a mysterious UFO, and a flying angel, compose a joyous, harmonious, and magical rhapsody on the sea. I always think that art is at its best when it expands and pushes through boundaries, exploring the unknown, raising our awareness, opening up new styles, new frontiers.
Rhapsody in Blue, 2023
Acrylic on canvas
在这个世界上，想象出的事物、时空、地方等，比真实的要多。不论是我们死后要去
的地方，还是诸神及其家乡，亦或是已经消失的文明，或是远在一个星系之外的星球 等。它们有一个共同点：不在此时、 、 不在此地。
这副作品传递一种百科全书般的激情，穿越种种边界。在现代心理分析与古老神话之
间，在科学与宗教之间，在碎片化叙述与理智思辨之间，在现实与梦境之间，穿梭自 如，超越地域与民族的界限，找寻新的精神家园。
画面中间贯穿上下画面的是一位西方的女神，以及她身上的 12 个星座。这里有天、 地、人、神之间的相互感应。人在宽广的宇宙中通过星座的运行，看到了秩序和自己
的位置。右边是古埃及《天空母牛之书》，表现的是以太阳神重新构建世界的过程。
左边是古印度杜尔迦女神骑着虎，用它多重的手臂持着不同神器，如三叉戟，在古印 度教中，三叉分别代表着创造、维护和毁灭。右下方是中国道家里面的神张天师在驱 妖捉鬼，保一方天下太平。左下方是人工智能机器人。下面两端是高科技数码建构的 电子游戏，是我们现在构建出的虚拟世界。
我们知道诸神是我们自己的奇丽假想，是我们自己意识状态在深层存在的投射。从某 种角度来说，诸神与我们是绝配。神话是当代世界里活生生的意义元素。如果没有神 话，生活将是单调无趣的，文化也将是匮乏的。尼采说神话是文明的统一性力量。有
学者认为，神话重建是艺术为抵抗科学和技术在后工业时代的基本方式。艺术的意义 在于创造神秘。
Not Here, Not Now Guan Wei 2024
In this world there are more things, times, and places that are imagined than actually exist. They may be afterlife destinations, or Gods and their habitats, vanished civilisations and lost cities, or extragalactic planets. They all have one thing in common: not here, not now.
In this painting I have tried to capture an encyclopaedic energy that crosses all kinds of boundaries - those between modern psychoanalysis and ancient myths, science and religion, fragmented narratives and rational arguments, reality and dreams. The work transcends all these boundaries, instead moving freely in search of a new spiritual homeland.
In the middle of the painting there stands a Western goddess, her body covered with the 12 constellations. She evinces the interconnection between heaven, earth, man and gods. Through the presence and movement of the constellations, man understands order and his place in the wider universe.
At upper right is the ancient Egyptian Book of the Heavenly Cow, showing the process of reconstructing the world as undertaken by the sun god Ra. In the upper left, the ancient Hindu goddess Durga is riding a tiger and holding different weapons with her multiple arms. These include the trishul, also known as the trident, representing creation, preservation and destruction. On the lower right is the Chinese Taoist deity Zhang Daoling, esteemed for his exorcistic abilities to keep the world peaceful, while at lower left is an AI robot. Finally, at either end are high-tech digitally constructed video games, virtual worlds that we now build.
We know that mythical gods are created through imagination and they are projections of our own deeper states of consciousness. In many instances these gods are perfect versions of us. Myth is a living element of meaning in the contemporary world. Without myth, life would be monotonous and culture would be less rich.
Nietzsche situates myth in the human condition. Some scholars have argued that myth reconstruction is the basic way in which art has been created to resist science and technology in the post-industrial age. Art adds to our understanding of myths and legends.
往昔英雄的光荣与梦想，使现在的生活变得高尚，使其喜悦美好，使生活具有了艺术 的形式。在昨日的光荣，明日的梦想之间，永远有今日的欢乐与悲伤。
The Glory and the Dream Guan Wei 2024
The glories and dreams of the heroes of the past enrich our present-day lives, giving us joy and beauty and hope. Between the glory of yesterday and the dream of tomorrow, there will always be today’s ever-present mix of joy and sorrow, a testament to the ebb and flow of life’s experiences.
The Glory and the Dream No. 2, 2024
The Glory and the Dream No. 1, 2024
Acrylic on card
33 x 25 cm
The Glory and the Dream No. 4, 2024 Acrylic on card
The Glory and the Dream No. 3, 2024
Acrylic on card
33 x 25 cm
1957 born in Beijing China
1986 graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at Beijing Capital University
1993 immigrated to Australia
2008 set up a studio in Beijing
2021 Doctor of Creative Art (honories causa), Western Sydney University
2023 Adjunct Fellow of the Institute for Australian and Chinese Arts and Culture at Western Sydney University
2024 lives and works in both Beijing and Sydney
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 Through the Screen, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
The Sea Beyond, Vermilion Gallery Sydney
2023 Out of the Ordinary, Vermilion Gallery Sydney
Assumed Reality, Gagproject Gallery Adelaide
Fluidity of Time and Space, ARC One Gallery Melbourne
2022 Interface, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
2021 A Digital Age, Arc One Gallery Melbourne
2020 Guan Wei a case study, Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie NSW
2019 MCA Collection show, The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney
Essence, Energy, Spirit, Australia-China Institute for Arts and Culture Gallery, Western Sydney University
The Divine Comedy, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
Retrospection, Turner Galleries Perth, Australia
2018 Chivalry, ARC ONE Gallery, Melbourne
Unexpected Histories, The University of Chicago Center in Beijing
2017 Cosmotheoria, White Box Art Center 798 Art District Beijing
Reflection, Martin Browne Contemporary Sydney
2016 Guan . Perspective, Scene Sense Art Gallery, Beijing
Bird, Map, Shadow, Heiser Gallery QLD Australia, Salvation, ARC ONE Gallery, VIC Australia
2015 Panorama, Art of Guan Wei, Jia Pingwa Cultural Museum of Art Xi'an china
From Stars To Soul, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
The Great Southern Wor ld, Nancy Sever Gallery, Canberra
Guan Wei & Wayne Warren Crossing Lines, ACME Project Space London
2014 How Far Heiser Gallery Brisbane
Archaeology ARC One Gallery Melbourne
From the water to the sky Glasshouse Port Macquarie Reginal Gallery NSW
2013 Twinkling Galaxies, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
Enigma Space, Moonlight 8 Gallery, Suzhou, China
Beyond the Horizon, Despard Gallery Hobart Tasmania
2012 The Enchantment, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne
2011 Spellbound, He Xiang Ning Art Museum, OCT Contemporary Art Terminal Shenzhen, China
Bird Island, Chan Hampe Galleries, Singapore
Play on the Beach, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney
The New Classic of the Mountains and Seas, Red Gate Gallery Beijing, China
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Sulman Prize finalist exhibition Art Gallery of NSW.
2023 In Our Time – four decades of art from China and beyond, The Geoff Raby Collection, National Art School Sydney
2022 China-The Past is Present, NGV Australia
Adelaide Biennial, Art Gallery of South Australia
2021 Precious Treasures, Incinerator Art Space Sydney Australia
2020 Portraits Project, Manly Art Gallery & Museum
Dispersion and Convergence - The third global overseas Chinese artists, He Xiang Ning Art Museum Shenzhen, China
2019 Paper & ink language - Nanjing Ink Art Biennale 2019, Nanjing Normal University Museum, China
Homeland, Chinese video work, Kunst Halle Museum Germany
2018 Infinite Conversations: Asian – Australian Artistic Exchange National Gallery of Australia
Yukihito Tabata with Chinese Contemporary Art 1989/2018, Tokyo Gallery, 798 Beijing
2017 Kunst Nacht Kempten Ausstellungen Ateliers Performances, Masik-Acts Kinderkunst fest. Germany
2016 Contemporary Australian Drawing#6, Bury Art Museum, UK 2016:
L'Ceil du Collectionneur, Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain Strasbourg, France
2015 Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2015, Perth
Original Home: A Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition of EXPO 2015, Milan, Italy
2014 Myh /History, Yuz collection of Contemporary Art Shanghai
2013 Seeing Red Meijiang International Art Center Tianjin China.
2012 Converging Worlds, group exhibition at Drill Hall ANU Gallery ACT, Australia.
2011 Journeys, Plimsoll Gallery, Tasmanian School of Art Hobart.
AWARD
1994 Awarded 1994 Gold Coast City Gallery Gonrad Jupiters Art Prize.
1997 Awarded 1997 Australian Print media Art Prize, University of Western Sydney, Nepean.
Awarded 1997 Biennial art Exhibition diary, The Southland Entertainment centre, Sydney.
1998 Awarded 1998 Gold Coast City Gallery Gonrad Jupiters Art Prize.
1999 Awarded 1999 Nillumbik Art Award VIC Australia.
Awarded 1999 Geelong Print Prize.
Awarded 1999 Rena Elen Jones Memorial Print Award.
2001 Awarded 2001 Mosman Art Prize Sydney.
Awarded 2001, 39th Festival of Fisher's Ghost, Campbelltown Art Gallery Sydney.
Awarded 2002 Sulman Prize NSW Art Gallery.
2015 Awarded 2015 Arthur Guy Memorial Prize, Bendigo Art Gallery VIC