CHINESE CONTEMPORARY SURREALIST ARTIST MAO KAI TO EXHIBIT IN UK FOR THE FIRST TIME

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, PREVIEW: FRIDAY 7^TH OCTOBER 2016, 7PM – 11PM

Abject Gallery is pleased to announce the first UK exhibition of Chinese contemporary surrealist painter Mao Kai.

Mao Kai’s painting embodies classic traits of the modern society of China; idealism, formed by a dynamic conflict of the conceptual gap between planned economy and market economy. Coming out of a career in the advertising industry, Kai is well versed in the pull between these two poles.

Whilst advertising is said to be genetically related to art, as time goes by, the two have gone in opposite directions and Kai uses his reflections on this to inform the direction of his oil paintings. If the production of advertising is still connected to artistic skill, originality in advertising is the expression of art as concept.

Whilst firmly based in the realm of Surrealism, Mao Kai purposefully downplays the often intense conceptual voice present in such a painting, preferring to express the conceptual side more subtly over series of works, as was favoured in the high-concept print advertising of previous decades.

For his first UK exhibition, Mao Kai presents a series of new portraitures entitled Superior Animals.

In this series of subtly surrealist depictions of dream like human/animal evolutions, Mao Kai pairs understated surrealism with a quite traditional language of technique to express the feelings of the common person under the current Chinese society. From this perspective, even though what or how he paints is often is rooted in classicism, there still exists a strong sense of modernist temperament.

The preview for this exhibition takes place on Friday 7^th October 7 – 11pm as part of the Newcastle Creative Quarter Block Party (www.creativequarter.org.uk), with Mao Kai making the trip over from China especially for this event.

The exhibition continuing to be open from 12^th October – 5^th November, Wednesday to Saturday, 12pm – 5pm. Entry is free.

Abject Gallery, run by Breeze Creatives, is a new contemporary art gallery, in Newcastle city centre that exhibits a selection of national and international artists. Located on the 8^th floor of Bamburgh House on Market Street East, the gallery is also known for its stunning views of the Quayside including the Tyne Bridge, Sage and BALTIC.

Biography

Born in 1974 in Hunan province of China, Mao Kai now works and lives in Beijing. After studying under remounted Chinese artist Liu Yi, Mao Kai has exhibited extensively thought-out China, notably in numerous high profile group exhibitions and auctions in both Beijing and Guangzhou.

More information is available at www.abject.gallery

Mao Kai: Superior Animals
Preview: Friday, 7^th October 2016, 7:00pm – 11:00pm
Exhibition: 12^th October – 5^th November 2016
Opening Times: Wed – Sat, 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Location: Abject Gallery, 8th Floor, Bamburgh House, Market Street East, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6BH

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Information for editors

For media enquiries contact Zoe Anderson on 07533 195512 or email info@breezecreatives.com.

Press image available at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1ebodcgo6zrrbj2/AADqqbw8t9Lm1xSH__f6d920a?dl=0

Additional press images can be emailed upon request.

• Breeze Creatives, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, specialises in cultural projects and events around the North East of England, and provides artist studios and project spaces in Newcastle city centre. Breeze Creatives latest projects include Abject Gallery, a contemporary art gallery exhibiting a mixture of national and international emerging artists. breezecreatives.com