Hao Liang's Elusive Silk Paintings at Gagosian London
Hao Liang's exhibition 'The Sad Zither' at Gagosian Grosvenor Hill, London (9 February–18 March 2023) features 14 silk paintings titled after Tang dynasty poet Li Shangyin's lament. The works blend traditional shan shui painting with unsettling, obscure elements: a blue octopus in muddy waters, a devil in a tree, a human-monkey hybrid. Literary references to Dante and Borges add layers. Translations of Li's poem vary, affecting interpretation. Paintings like 'All Things' and 'Floating Grass' appear abstract but invite figurative readings. 'Gatha by Ikkyū' depicts figures with hoofed legs; 'Spring and Emaciated Horse' shows a ghastly green face with pimples. Hao's work operates through obscuration rather than Daoist simplicity, creating eerie delight.
Key facts
- Exhibition at Gagosian Grosvenor Hill, London
- Runs 9 February–18 March 2023
- 14 silk paintings titled after Li Shangyin's 'The Sad Zither'
- Works include 'Poetics of Li Shangyin III' (2021), 'Divine Comedy II' (2022), 'Under a Tree in Britain' (2022)
- References to Dante and Jorge Luis Borges
- Two translations of Li's poem provided: one with 'sunburned mirth', another with 'sunburned jade'
- Paintings 'All Things' and 'Floating Grass' (both 2022) appear abstract
- 'Gatha by Ikkyū' (2022) shows figures with hoofed legs
Entities
Artists
- Hao Liang
- Li Shangyin
- Dante Alighieri
- Jorge Luis Borges
- Xu Yuanchong
Institutions
- Gagosian Grosvenor Hill
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom