FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH

A distinguishing characteristic of contemporary Chinese art is a fusion between traditional Asian forms and references to Western art and pop culture. "From Heaven to Earth" features the work of 16 Chinese painters who exemplify this amalgam--Feng Zhengjie, Fu Hong, He Sen, Li Dafang, Li Songsong, Ma Liuming, Shi Xinning, Wang Xingwei, Wei Guangqing, Wu Yiming, Xie Nanxing, Yang Qian, Zeng Fanzhi, Zeng Hao, Zang Xiaotao and Zhou Tiehai--with full color images and text by art historian Lorenzo Sassoli de Bianchi. These artists evidence a precision derived from technical mastery, an inclination towards pop colors and a subtle irony, but their works defy categorization. The painters presented here do not share a precise common denominator. In fact, it is interesting to observe how each uses and interprets this genre in a most different way, thus making it very topical and loaded with countless possibilities.