Celestial Chaos No. 3

With an air of mystery and expansiveness, Tai Xiangzhou’s paintings evidently demonstrate his interest in astronomy. His engagement with landscape painting and determination to reinvigorate the genre reflect a visual and philosophical exploration of traditional Chinese cultural belief and its representation system. Tai studied the relationship between astronomical phenomenon and Chinese landscape painting, arguing that the genre would not exist without the ancient practice of astronomical observation. In the Celestial Chaos series, one can associate Tai’s compositions with images of the origin of the universe, with rock formations flowing mid-air, their movement unpredictable with subtle tracks and orbits surrounding them. Tai’s compositions give viewers an illusion that his subject matters are constantly moving with various degrees of energy within the boundless cosmos. The meticulousness and vibrancy with which Tai renders his subjects – hyper-realistic scholar’s rocks, lofty mountains and fantastical landscapes – reconfigure the age-old themes into modern spectacles of transcendental beauty. Tai’s work has been exhibited widely in major museums and galleries in the United States, and is held in institutional collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Museum, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.