Exclusive Interview for Luxe Life by Kirsty Harding – Freelance Writer/Journalist and English (Hons) graduate based in Manchester 

 

Zhuang Hong Yi has already built a highly impressive reputation in the art industry and his latest exhibition ‘Radiance’ will light up London’s galleries in a truly unique manner. Taking influences from his time spent between China and Holland, his Radiance exhibition is a perfect fusion of Eastern and Western cultures.

As the excitement for his London exhibition builds, he took some time to share his thoughts and provide some insight on the man behind the exceptional artwork.

 

“When I was growing up in China, I didn’t have much access to information about contemporary art, I wasn’t strongly influenced by a particular artist as such, or even style. What really inspired me was the idea of freedom and creativity. My father was a writer and I was surrounded by literature growing up, so I always had a creative nature and curiosity. I admired Monet, of course and like him, I enjoy painting fields of flowers.”

Zhuang moved to Holland to follow his dreams by studying fine arts. He enjoyed living within the European culture so much that he has spent much of his life between Holland and his home city of ShiChuan. He is very modest about his achievements, which include exhibits at all of the renowned global art fairs including Scope in NYC, Tefaf, and Art Basel. He is now the top selling Asian artist in the UK with his work appreciating between 20-40% each year.

One of the reasons his work is so remarkable is his use of handmade rice paper to produce paintings that burst with colour. His Radiance exhibition conveys his desire to brighten up the world. One of the strong themes is the colour changing ability of flowerbeds from different focal points.

“Through my exhibition in London I want to radiate happiness, I want people to enjoy the exhibition and bring colour into their life. I love the connection between nature and the seasons and how it changes people’s moods. Radiance is perfectly timed with spring and the time of year when flowers are bringing more colour into our natural environment.”

The exhibition will be presented in an exciting format split across two magnificent

venues belonging to HOFA Gallery. The first part will take place from 19th to

25th March in their St James’s gallery, then moves seamlessly to the highly anticipated new HOFA Gallery opening on 58 Maddox Street (corner with New Bond Street) from 26th March until the 8th April.

 

When asked about his future plans, Zhuang explains that he thinks an important part of his approach is to stay true to the source of his creativity. “In the art world it can be easy to become too “Academy style” if you understand what I mean by that. The study of art is very important but it should never hinder your creativity. The sense of freedom is vital for me to be able to go wherever I want to go with my artwork, to try new things and see how they progress. If you concentrate too much on the process then some of that natural creativity gets lost”.

He is very excited about his London exhibition and to be the chosen artist for HOFA’s exciting new Mayfair gallery’s inaugural exhibition. Founder of HOFA Simonida Pavicevic describes Zhuang as ‘The essence of HOFA’, as HOFA has exclusively represented Zhuang for the last five years in the UK.

For any up and coming artists out there that are aspiring to be the next Zhuang Hong Yi, the key message is to never give up. “Making the choice to be an artist is a very difficult one. You have to be strong and put in a lot of hard work. It is a long process, so if you are going to succeed you need to really persevere. Also, you really must embrace freedom and creativity. Basically, keep working hard!”

You can see Zhuang’s amazing work for yourself in London and see first hand why he has become one of the most exciting contemporary artists of his time.

HOFA Gallery

58 Maddox Street (corner with New Bond Street)

London

http://thehouseoffineart.com

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