Chen Jiao's Solo Exhibition at Tally Beck

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As a part of Asian Contemporary Arts Week, Tally Beck housed minimalist artist Chen Jiao's artwork this past weekend.  Jiao's work was hand selected from a "live" panel in Shanghai, who chose twenty artists to represent contemporary Asian design. View more of the artwork and atmosphere below! Captivated by the hidden details in each painting, guests walked through the gallery and enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere.

At a cursory glance, Chen Jiao's work looks nondescript. A cloud of neutral color surrounds a tightly woven focal point. As one looks closer, we see Chen Jiao provides a highly detailed representation of the buildings, architecture, and vegetation from her youth in Southwestern China. Chen's perceptions are intentionally skewed to reflect the dilapidated exteriors of the buildings. She uses thin, controlled lines to illustrate the rigidity of China and lend an air of authority. The grand opus of this exhibit is a recreated chalkboard from Jiao's eighties and nineties classroom. Quotations about Karl Marx and May Day flank the ranking list of students on their personal hygiene and efficiency. Chen's work is both politically moving and captivating to ponder.

The exhibition will run from now until April 24th, 2011.