EXHIBITION TITLE 展览名称
安静故事 Tranquil Tales
张凯 Zhang Kai
—— 张凯
Co-presented by Triumph Gallery and Poly Auction Hong Kong, the Chinese post-80s artist Zhang Kai’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong Tranquil Tales will be held at Poly Gallery Hong Kong from March 25 to April 2. The exhibition assembles 15 artworks by Zhang Kai spanning from 2012 to 2024, showcasing the artist’s vision of a Tranquil Tale. “Tranquility” has always been the emotion Zhang Kai wants to convey in his work. For him, it is also the ideal state of being in the fast-paced life of modern individuals. Zhang Kai said, modern people live a more prosperous material life compared to the past, yet their anxiety has never been relieved. Everything surrounding us is operating at a fast pace, and being amidst exacerbates anxiety, bringing people mental exhaustion and uneasiness. He is no exception. However, whenever he picks up the paintbrush and faces the canvas, he drifts into a “Tranquil” state, feeling the comfort brought by art.
The newly created works shown in this exhibition feature different subjects from Zhang Kai’s previous works. This time, the background has become the scene, while the space itself is the content. In the artworks, rose-colored light flows subtly in the tranquil rooms, and there are also church-like spaces and half-curtained artist studios.
In addition, there are plenty of floral elements in the works on display. Flowers were one of the favorite subjects of 17th-century Dutch Vanitas painters. Jan van Huysum’s floral still-life works recorded flowers blossoming at different moments. This idealized graphic scheme captured the beautiful yet ephemeral moments of flowers. As Zhang Kai gets closer to 40 years old, he becomes sensitive to time and enjoys painting flowers. Through painting flowers. Zhang Kai wants to remind himself and everyone who comes to the Tranquil Tales solo exhibition: Time flies, and we shall cherish every moment.
伯利恒的雪人 The Snowman of Bethlehem
布面油彩 Oil on canvas，80×70cm，2024
秘密花园 Secret Garden
布面油彩 Oil on canvas，60×50cm，2024
布面油彩 Oil on canvas，60×80cm，2024
张凯，1985年生于中国山西，2007年毕业于山西师范大学美术学院，现生活工作于北京。
他的作品以赋有拟人化与精神性的猫与兔子爲主角，呈现出安静、神秘、诗意的画面氛围。以当代视角对艺术史的梳理分析与个人审美倾向爲出发点，通过对古典与当代的融合与重建展现了艺术家对时间、精神、表象与本质的思考。
Zhang Kai was born in 1985 in Shanxi, China. In 2007, he graduated from the School of Arts, Shanxi Normal University, and currently works and lives in Beijing.
In his painting, the protagonists are personified and spiritualizedcats and rabbits, which presenta tranquil, mysterious, and poetic atmosphere. Through the synthesis and reconstruction of the classical and the contemporary, Zhang Kai presentshis thinking on time, spirit, appearance, and essence, starting from his analysis of art history from the contemporary perspective and his aesthetic tendencies.
