Exchange Database

Artist wows with soy sauce

Soy sauce surely has an abundance of culinary applications, but painting with it is certainly not one of the condiment's primary uses. Nonetheless, one Chinese painter said people would be surprised at soy sauce's potential use value in artistic applications. "I don't know how many people use soy sauce for painting, but I don't think it's something a teacher would teach you at school," said Zhang Hongtu, a New York-based painter and installation artist. "Many media may be used before soy sauce, but I think it's fun because you can do anything with it." Some of the artist's more recent works, which he said focus on the juxtaposition of nature and the human condition, are now also on display as part of an ongoing exhibit at MOCA. Zhang, who said he is influenced by Chinese landscape painting, said visitors to MOCA would understand more about Chinese contemporary art after combing some of the museum's exhibits. "I try to mix different feelings and meanings in my paintings and I feel the medium itself can be a part of the content," Zhang said.
Outcomes: 
"There are contradictions in my work, and there is not always total harmony," Zhang said. "The mix of culture is one of the most important influences in my art, so I try to mix different feelings and meaning."
Government?: 
No
Type of Exchange: 
culture
Partners: 
Museum of Contemporary Art
Participants (Types): 
artist
Number of Participants: 
1
Exchange Date: 
Thursday, April 24, 2014 to Monday, September 15, 2014
Continuing: 
No
Image: 
Location: 
New York, US
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