Chinese Culture holds fast to the theory of the five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water – as a means of explaining the composition and phenomena of the physical universe and the physical body. Through style, composition and colour Zheng Delong captures the vibrancy of these dynamic processes and makes them visible on the painted canvas.

Born in 1976 in Chengdu, in Sichuan Province, Zheng is one of the few prominent contemporary Chinese painters to have no formal fine art training. This gap in his resumé, rather than being a negative factor, makes his talent all the more interesting and impressive. Though fascinated by painting as a teenager, in part due to his father’s own artistic and collecting interests, it was not until the late 1990s that Zheng established himself in a studio in Chengdu.

His work is characterized by powerful images – portraits of both humans and animals that are strong in colour and shape. Executed with swirling brushstrokes, which create a metallic appearance, his pieces attempt to marry the human soul with nature’s organic one, rendering visible the unity of the world in which we live.  Zheng’s ability to mix elements of abstraction with the basic tenets of figurative representation amplifies the power of his works. He does truly epitomize the marriage between the old and the new. Full of life and movement, they find their power in the ability to combine emotional subtlety with the boldness of his technical detail.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Zheng’s work is not overly controlled by the cultural and political situation of his native country.  His art, rather than merely reflective of the Chinese ‘state’, seeks a universal appeal and explores the psychological and emotional life of all individuals.

Selected Exhibitions

2006    The Face of Contemporary Art in China, Federal Reserve Board, Washington D.C.
Vigour: a Solo Exhibition, Olyvia Oriental Ltd., London
   Made in China: Young Chinese Contemporary Art, Opera Gallery, London
Grosvenor International Art and Antique Fair, London
   New Air, 1918 Art Space, Shanghai
   Ruyi, Siemens International Art Space, Singapore
   Seven Generals from Sichuan, Omeiln Gallery, Beijing
2005    Singapore International Art Fair
2004    The Best Artist from Chengdu, Shanghai Spring Art Saloon
2003    Chengdu Best Young Artist Show, Chengdu Modern Art Museum