Singapore

Sundaram Tagore Gallery, 5 Lock Road 01–05, Gillman Barracks

Please join the artist as he informally discusses his new installations.

Zheng Lu’s art is deeply influenced by his study of traditional Chinese calligraphy. A native of Inner Mongolia, he grew up practicing calligraphy with his grandfather and transcribing poetry for his father, a man of letters. His early works referenced Chinese calligraphy scrolls.

The works from his Water in Dripping series, on view in the gallery, are composed of text from the renowned Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi’s Appreciation of Still Water. In this exhibition, not only does Zheng celebrate the power of water, an element essential to our existence, but he also revels in Bai’s unfettered imagination. The works explore water while evoking Chinese literati concepts of a contemplative journey within nature. By using characters from texts of historical significance, he also draws on the custom of apprentices copying masters’ works yet pushes this idea further by introducing new interpretations and possibilities.