Introduction
Star Gallery is proud to present Zhang Hui’s one-man show, Back to the Pastoral, on the farm of Lal Lal Eastate, Victoria, Australia from 26 May 2017 (Friday). It will be the first art exhibition happening at this historical land known for pastoral scenery and livestock. The exhibition will include eight paintings with the subjects of flowers and plants that Zhang Hui did in Beijing, China and Minneapolis, USA, as well as another six pieces commissioned by the Lal Lal Eastate during his residency there. The oldest and one of the most precious heritages of the estate, the 159-year-old stable will be served as the venue.
The title of this exhibition is name after a famous poem of Tao Yuanming, a government official in ancient China who renounced the world to live in seclusion after seeing the dark side of the political scene. In the poem, he expressed his resolution to keep away from the corruption and conflicts, and praised the ideal destination of his life – the countryside. Although Tao’s story has been buried in the history for long, to withdraw from the world has been taken by the Chinese intellectual as an alternative till even today. Zhang Hui’s work is an example. During the past two decades, his focus has switched gradually from the constantly changing city landscapes to the eternal nature free from the constrain of any historical or cultural context.
