Galerie Maurits van de Laar
Toussaintkade 49
Presentation of the gallery
The gallery, founded in 1991, focuses on art that reflects the artist's personal commitment. Drawing occupies a prominent place, as it is here that concepts and ideas take shape. Thanks to the informal, direct nature of drawing, the artist is able to express himself fully. The paintings exhibited are almost always figurative, and here too, the personal dimension is important, as is individuality and originality. Three-dimensional works are characterized by an assertive personal language or experiments with space and natural processes. The gallery is also aware that it must be a place of experimentation. At least once a year, an artist presents an installation or project.
Présentation de l'artiste en focus
Dan Zhu (1985) creates a fascinating universe in which a string of mussels becomes a walking stick on a beach, probing the sand. In "Trip to an Image", she uses a train window to frame the image, in which leaves, flowers, flying creatures and planets scroll by simultaneously, as in a dream where everything carries meaning. For Dan Zhu, "Trip to an Image" serves as a metaphor for his artistic journey.
His latest works explore natural forms, moving from the macro to the micro level and using parallel perspectives to add movement and dynamism.
Traditional Chinese painting places great importance on "Spirit Resonance". Scientific precision is not a priority, but the spirit created by the movement of the elements must be sincere. On the other hand, Dan Zhu is also inspired by Western art, with artists such as Hilma Af Klint, and outsider artists like Henry Darger or Guo Fengyi. For Dan Zhu, Eastern and Western art methods are equally valid: "The paths are different, but the objectives are the same".
