Introduction

Tang Guo has been able to create a very unique universe within the traditional media of ink painting and calligraphy. Only lately has he expanded into the world of photography and so forth. In his paintings, water, pulp and color are the basic elements out of which a rigorous and poetic pictorial proposal is made. Although at first glance it may suggest certain similarities with abstract expressionism, this soon gives way to meticulous and warm compositions. Ranging in size from the miniscule to the large, Tang Guo's abstract paintings of monochromatic fields change gradually from profound meanings to intense shades of distinct colors, it has a traditional charm and a contemporary visual style; Tang Guo shows a clear interest in the relationship between color fields that mix and interact, expanding their own limits. The beauty of the work arises from the harmonious color gradations, achieved only through the abilities of ink painting. Tang Guo has a predilection for repetition, and while the works seem to depend on one another, they function even better independently. Each brush stroke is unique and in zealous search for simplicity despite the reduced color range.

In his black and white photographic series "Water" and "Human Territory" (2000-2002), a certain poetic nostalgia is articulated; all the photos are devoid of humans. Whereas photographs from "Water" are abstract, blurred and subjective, "Human Territory" applies the tradition of realist and objective photo documentary.

Tang Guo was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu province in 1955. He studied at Nanjing Art Academy and Central Academy for Arts and Crafts, Beijing from 1986 to 1989. He resides and works in Nanjing. Selected solo exhibitions include Ebbs and Flows, OCT Boxes Art Museum, Foushan (2020); Herbaceous, Tang Guo's Solo Exhibition, Macau Lotus Art Museum, Macau (2017); ZHI ZHU Temple and DAN YUAN, Outdoor Video Projection by TANG Guo, PAPAR Temple, Beijing (2016); Ebbs and Flows - TANG Guo's solo exhibition, Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts, Nanjing (2015); The Rhyme of Ruins - Tang Guo Solo Exhibition, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai (2013); Emanation, Bund 18 Creative Center, Shanghai (2008); Tang Guo, Zhu Qizhan Art Museum, Shanghai (2006); Human Territory, ShanghART H-Space, Shanghai (2005); Water, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai (2002); Long Life, La Galliavola, Milan, Italy (2000); Tang Guo New Works on Paper, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai (1998) and Paintings by Tang Guo, Guofu Museum, Taipei (1996).