10 May IMAGE & IMAGINATION 2016 – China NZ Art Exchange

Ten contemporary artists will participate in IMAGE & IMAGINATION 2016 – the fourth annual international arts exchange hosted by Moonlight Gallery and NongYuan International Arts Village based in Chengdu, China.

The 2016 event will be an exclusive exchange between Chinese and New Zealand artists curated in partnership with Moonlight Gallery.

Previous exchanges have featured top artists from France, Germany, Taiwan, South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Myanmar and more.

Three New Zealand artists (Nicky Foreman, Robin Ranga, and Myah Flynn) will reside in NongYuan International Arts Village from May 5^th to 20^th 2016, collaborating with seven top Chengdu contemporary artists.

The grand opening of IMAGE & IMAGINATION 2016 exhibition on 18^th May 2016 will feature exclusive works produced in advance for the exchange as well as new pieces created in residence at NongYuan.  VIP guests such as top local artists, critics, collectors, businesses, and staff from the New Zealand Consulate-General Chengdu will be in attendance.

Ms Li YANG, director of NongYuan International Arts Village promises the 2016 IMAGE & IMAGINATION arts exchange to be a “Collision of Ideas and Outburst of Inspirations”.

Ms Ling ZHAO, Director of Moonlight Gallery New Zealand states “We are delighted to co-host IMAGE & IMAGINATION 2016 and showcase New Zealand contemporary works to art lovers in Chengdu.  It is our hope that through this exciting artistic cultural exchange we will create an ongoing bridge of friendship and cooperation.”

UPDATE: Please view all photos from the exchange here: IMAGE & IMAGINATION 2016 Photo Gallery

About the organisers:

• NongYuan is the largest contemporary arts districts in Western China consisting of three key components: NongYuan International Arts Village, TianYi Arts Village, and TianYi NongYuan Arts & Culture Centre.
  • Covering over 26 Acres, NongYuan International Village features over 200 artist studios and 36 arts organisations.
  • Spanning 8.3 Acres, TianYi Arts Village is a tourist attraction, gallery and museum in one – it currently houses over 30,000 pieces of artwork in its collection.
  • At 2000 Square Meters, TianYi NongYuan Arts & Culture Centre is a modern facility with traditional Chinese design sensibilities.  It is dedicated to promoting arts and culture through talks, workshops, tours, and other creative events.

• Moonlight Gallery is an Auckland-based organisation dedicated to promoting true artistic expression and creating bridges across cultural boundaries.

About the exchange participants:

• Nicky Foreman is an accomplished Auckland-based contemporary artist with over 35 solo exhibitions to date. Her work is represented in many collections including Saatchi & Saatchi New York and Prime Minister John Key’s office and home.
• Robin Ranga is an award-winning multi-media artist known for exploring compassionate issues through ceramics and painting.  She is also a member of the Dust Art Collective, an Auckland based artists initiative.
• Myah Flynn is a contemporary painter based in Auckland. Early achievements include winning the 2008 Mazda Emerging Artist Award and the 2006 Glaister Ennor Art Award. Although paint is her primary medium she extends her practice through frequent collaborations with practitioners of other forms.
• DATANG Zhuoma is a prolific contemporary Chinese painter, known for her impressionistic painting style and work in supporting the Qiang people and culture through her art after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquakes.  She is also a professor at the Aba Teacher’s University and the Secretary of Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture Artist Association.
• FENG Mingqing is a native of Aba (Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture). Well-known as a leading member of the Basu (Sichuan) School of contemporary Chinese art, he is also a director of the Sichuan Artist Association, deputy director of both the Aba Prefecture Cultural Museum and Aba Prefecture Gallery.
• LIU Jiawei is a Chengdu-based painter and member of the Sichuan Artist Association.  He is famous for his ongoing ‘Plateau Impressions’ series, exploring personal themes through inspiration from experiencing Tibetan religion, landscape, people and culture.
• OU Bin is a widely exhibited Chengdu-based contemporary artist famous for his expressionistic portraits and landscapes.
• WANG Xinjian is a multi-disciplinary artist with a background as a documentary and experimental filmmaker.  His work is known for casting a unique, untainted perspective on modern social issues.
• ZHUANG Zi is a Chengdu-based artist well known for incorporating traditional Chinese ink painting sensibilities into modern oil painting and pen-and-ink works featuring flowers as a key artistic symbol.
• YOU Xiaolin is a Chengdu-based painter famous for his fantastical realist works depicting the ancient Chinese Bronze Age civilisation found in Sanxingdui and Jinsha.

For media information, images and interviews, please contact Allan Xia on +64 210747588 or allan@moonlightgallery.nz