Words and images by Zhu Kecheng, an ArtChina artist
In 2018, I graduated as a MA Printmaking student from Camberwell College of Art. My graduation work won the Printmakers Council Award. This whole lithography collection is about conscious and unconscious body language, and the language of human behavior beyond voice communication. I use the skin to represent the boundaries of the body. The spiritual expression is under the boundaries; the communication and substitution of body language is beyond the boundaries. At the same time my Stop-motion animation was selected to exhibit at the Camberwell Selection show. After the exhibition, I received invitations from galleries such as GX Gallery to exhibit my work there. This award is the affirmation to my artwork, and also gives me the motivation to continue my art career.
Image: The shape of us (collection), lithography
Images: My lithography work for the 5th China Youth Prints Exhibition, 2019
When I came back home to China, I started working on some new projects. I began to explore the Chinese traditional woodblock print. From the traditional perspective, I gradually added my personal perspective to make traditional woodblock prints my own way. On the basis of studying the traditional painting spectrum of Shizhuzhai, I explored the materials and techniques. It has formed a process of transformation, and the whole process can also be regarded as the transformation and re-creation of my thinking (still an ongoing project). At the same time, I got the chance to join the National Art Funding: The Woodblock Print Talents Training Program at China Central Academy of Fine Arts.
Image: The Four seasons (collection), Chinese Woodblock. This collection will exhibit in a future ArtChina exhibition.
Images: My cats are an important part of my life. I like to put my cats in my works, to photograph them, draw them and print them. I enjoy capturing them in all shapes. They have their own personality, very quirky, very individual; to me this is the most fun part of them.