EDWARD.HONGYI.JIA

Artist based in London

My works are concentrated on the relationship between human and nature though the time. Working within the tradition of expressionism and romantism which combine east and west. I believe Sci-Fi cannot give human beings a great future, however humans' desire wants to Sci-Fi to give us a happy ending. Through these interests, a key challenge in my work is how painting can respond to the circle from internal to external with nature and human society.

The creation of ZOOM embarked on in March 2020. In this group of paintings, I apply more traditional Chinese landscape techniques and ideals to show a juxtaposition of the macro natural landscape and science fictional elements. In these works, besides the apparent depiction of artificial mechanical structures, I choose to forbid the direct representation of my used science fictional narratives. Alternatively, I express in an indirect approach: the energy barrier looming in the clouds like the sunset, the vapor waves caused by ekranoplans, the explosion water spray caused by high-altitude aerial bombs...

When exploring the proposition of nature and technology, instead of choosing a simple dichotomy to express the ideological, yet aesthetic conflict by the natural landscape and artificial structures, I want to show that the two are not contradictory. The curved mechanical structures either float in the water like islands or embedded within forests or jungles, have already become an indispensable of my fictional microecosystem.

In the works, mechanical structures are widely depicted in a state of abandonment. As a group of landscape paintings, this kind of treatment will naturally remind the viewer of the sublimity in 18th century Romanticism and contemporary art’s fanatic obsession with the ruins. Speaking in the author’s intention, the state of structural buildings represents the end of an era: the disenchantment of utopian ideals, technological optimism, and artistic avant-garde ideals since the end of the cold war and the collapse of the Soviet Union. On the other hand, the splashing water and the shaking and twisting cyclones suggest that the structures I depicted are being reactivated. Such representation of reactivation is originated from my observation and deliberation of the flourishing popularity of the Soviet avant-garde ruins in multiple cultural fields, concomitantly with the reappearance of technological optimists’ literature, including post-scarcity, cybernetic communism, and so on. A specter might still be haunting Europe — the specter of technological progression and science-fictional visions.

BIOGRAPHY /CV

by Edward.Hongyi.JIA

EDUCATION

Royal College of Art                                                         London UK

MA Painting                                                                       Sept 2020- Jul 2022

University of the Art London                                             Chelsea, London, UK
BA Fine Art                                                                          Oct 2017- June 2020
University of the Art London                                              London, UK
Foundation in Fine Art Painting                                        Sep 2016 - May 2020
Tsinghua University                                                             Beijing, China
Foundation in Fine Art Painting and print-making          Sep 2015 - May 2016

WORKING
EXPERIENCE:

Alpha education Consulting                                                        London, UK

Art tutor part time- Academic Department                                Jan 2019 –May 2019

• Passionate about sharing art experiences to young students 

SISHU primary school                                                                     London, UK

 • Organized one-day school trip and children photographer   Dec 2016 – Jan 2019

• As an art teacher in Sishu primary school 

Xinshijue Art Studio, and Qianju Art Studio                                Jining, Beijing, China 

Art tutor – Teaching Department                                                 Aug 2015 – Aug 2017 

• Passionate about Asian art 

• Build spiritual teamwork abilities with effective communication skills 

HONOUR

Apocalypse’ exhibited in UAL 2020 Online Degree Show              28th Jul. – 07th Aug.2020
‘Resurrection’ Exhibited in London New Contemporaries               21th Jul. – 21th Jan.2021
Show in Hari Hotel by Union Gallery London  
‘Apocalypse’ exhibited in Flows Across the Bridge Exhibition in      07th Jul. 2020
Chelsea college of arts
‘Inquietude’ and ‘Mind the Gap’ exhibited in UAL                             09th May. – 09th Jun.2020
CSSA Online exhibition
‘Mind the Gap’ exhibition in BFA Show 2020                                       23th May. 2020
‘At Long as last Love’ exhibited in Singulart Gallery in                        08th May. 2020
Paris Franch
‘Inquietude’exhibited in Goldsmiths Oriental M-art in                        20th Apr. – 24th Apr.2020
Goldsmiths University of London
‘Inquietude’ exhibited in Epidemic See 2020 Online                            13th Apr. 2020
International Art Exhibition
‘At Long as last Love’ collaborated with University of the Arts             16th Feb.2020
London as cover for the college magazine 
‘Synthesis’ and ‘Coalescing’ were included in Horniman                     29st Jan.2020
Museum & Gardens
‘The Peony’ was collected by Bulgarian Embassy                                17th Dec.2019
‘At the long at last love’ exhibited in Sino-French art association
exhibition in Falerie Francis Gallery in Paris of France                         11th Dec – 17th Dec 2019
‘At the long at last love’ exhibited in T. House Art Centre Gallery             
in Shanghai of China                                                                                17th Aug 2019
‘At the long at last love’ exhibited in 2019 Beijing City Art Fair           20th June2019
The collaboration with Tommy Hilfigter, La Mer, Massimo Dutti          2018– Present
Creating the premium products with Traditional Chinese Pattern
“The Peony” exhibited in the Burgh House Hampstead Museum      11th Feb 2017
“The Lotus” was collected by the British Museum                                21st May 2017
Awarded the First Prize with subject number EV133002                       22nd March 2013
The 28th Science and Technology contest of Shandong province, China 
Awarded the qualification certificate of Grade 8 of traditional  
Chinese painting Art examination in Shandong of China                    15thSept 2008
Awarded the first prize of the third Ink Color Cup National
Children's calligraphy and painting Competition in China                   16th Dec 2005

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