We Are the Newcomers· We Are the Future

ShanghART Gallery & H-Space is proud to present a solo-exhibition with new and old works by Pu Jie (b. 1959).

In his work Pu Jie references life in the rapidly expanding urban metropolis with its diverse imagery of eroticism, political propaganda and ancient myths. Monochromatic colors of red, yellow and blue dominate his large-scale paintings expressed as a blend of pop art and comic strips.

The compositions are not subject to the classical central perspective, but consist of collage of figures and texts that are noticeable as a vast basis in favor of other images, usually painted with striking contours. Revisiting the dichotomies of modernist painting, he manipulates the boundaries between figure and ground, to produce an intense and contemporary baroque universe.

In chaotic processions Pu Jie touches upon a variety of themes that he conjures up in un-usually dynamic and intense scenes. Here, he underscores the illusory aspects of the mediated day-to-day reality of a rapidly changing society. Life is experienced as fragmented and shifting, without any way to effectively present a thorough interpretation of it. Attempting to expose this recognition, Pu Jie in practical terms conjures up and juxtaposes seemingly contrasting narratives and memories.

Pu Jie was born in Shanghai in 1959. He graduated from the Fine Art Department of the Shanghai Teachers University in 1986. Today he lives and works in Shanghai. Recent exhibitions include Mahjong, Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland (2005), Urban Art 2003, City of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (2003), Pu Jie – City of London Festival, Royal Exchange, London, UK (2003), The Dream of the City by the Sea, Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte, Hamburg, Germany (2003), and Pu Jie – Speed of Culture, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai, China (2002).