His work entitled ‘Cake’ is part of the exhibition ‘Still’ (quiet) which opened on Sunday in Meh­lem. It has a political meaning as well as a playful element, as it remembers the Muslim minority group the Uyghurs who sell their speciality products from their bicycles. “After they were beaten by the local tradesmen, they went to court and received compensation,” explains Zheyi. This is a sensational achievement for a minority group.

The artist, who lives in Peking, is exhibiting at the art room together with Chi Qun (born in 1981). Both belong to the Chinese federation ‘Art No­va 100’ which supports young artists. “Our or­ga­ni­sa­ti­on is not funded by the state, but people are open towards us” emphasises the female curator Peng Wei. Also Zheyi says that he can work freely. He is an all­roun­der, explains the cura­to­r, “he paints, makes films and in­stal­la­tio­ns. He is famous in China for his calligraphy. He does not use tradition rice paper but draws the characters on a canvas”. His work ‘Ex­plo­ring Spring’ is a good example - he lyrically portrayed the death of his dog at the edge of the picture. The picture itself shows at first sight flower buds opening but on closer inspection you can see finely sketched astronauts; it is all an expression of longing.

The art work by Chi Qun, the second person in the group, is by no means objective. The Chinese women who was unable to attend the opening, has devoted herself to abstract lines. She partly uses bamboo to draw up to ten layers of colour on to the canvas. “In doing so, she expresses different voices which are always under control,” says curator Wei. The mostly large-size works follow an internal order which presupposes an external order – namely the artist herself. The geo­me­try is set against the colour, as can be seen in her work ‘Bright Blue’. In the co­balt blue oil painting, three lines are painted like mountains behind which a soft purple shimmers. “This smooths the sharp lines of the aggressive looking points,” says Ren Rong, explaining how he perceives it. Art No­va representative Wei classes the female artist from Peking as an “important representative of abstract art” in Chi­na.

With the title ‘Still’, Rong and the cu­ra­to­r have translated the Chinese characters which give the exhibition its name. “Al­l works have something meditative about them and they invite the visitors to concentrate on the artists,” says Rong. In the case of the watermelon by Zheyi, which is also made a tiny lego blocks, the mind is certainly distracted.

The exhibition ‘Still’ is on until 28th May every Thursday and Friday from 4pm – 7pm and on Saturdays from 11am – 4pm at the art room in Vil­la Frie­de, Main­zer Stra­ße 141.

(Original text: Sil­ke El­bern, Translation: Caroline Payne)