Shanghai Influence

New, colorful interpretation of traditional Chinese scroll

I spent 6 days in Shanghai in April. I saw so much great art and creativity from ancient to contemporary times that it has taken me weeks to digest the sights and sounds enough to write about my adventure. Before talking about the art, I would like to thank my cousins, Debbie and Alan, who hosted me on my visit.

It is an amazing experience to be transported to a culture where so many things differ from my “normal” life. I saw beautiful things from days gone-by and ingenious solutions for certain contemporary challenges. Touring Shanghai brought the old and new China into high relief. A visit to the Shanghai Museum, where we saw traditional costumes and art work, provided the perfect preparation for a trip to Moganshan Road (M50). M50 is the a former industrial and warehouse district that has been converted into artist studios, galleries, and living spaces. It was wonderful to see esthetically appealing, as well as thought provoking art. My regret is that I ran enthusiastically from gallery to gallery (think: kid in a candy shop) without properly recording the artists’ and gallery names so that I can give them proper credit.

I was completely engaged by the “Rural Laborers Series” by Wei Yi, and in fact purchased a catalogue of work to take back to the US.