Paintings by Z. Z. Wei

Contact: Lauren Johnson
Phone: 505-954-9902
Email: Lauren@blueraingallery.com
*Hi res images available upon request

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Paintings by Z. Z. Wei
A Painter Expresses his Affection for the American Landscape

SANTA FE, N.M. [February 15, 2018] – Blue Rain Gallery is pleased to present an online-exclusive show of paintings by Z. Z. Wei. The show is scheduled to be on-view February 16 – March 2, 2018 on artsy.net.

The show includes twelve oil-on-canvas paintings that depict rural landscapes of the northwest and southwest United States. Employing a bold palette of azure blues, saffron yellows, and brick reds, Wei takes the viewer on a journey through quiet and wondrous scenery. Old cars, roads, barns, and adobe structures are the only signs of human existence. Wei’s powerful and distinct brush strokes convey his undeniable gift for painting, as well as a sense of artistic freedom that he found in coming to the United States from China.

“Landscape painting is the way I choose to express my contemplation and affection for this world,” Wei says, “. . . Landscape painting is considered the most important and prestigious style of traditional Chinese art – far more important than portraits that directly depict people. . . Artists would find sustenance in nature, in ‘mountains and waters.’ They don’t usually paint real places but the impression or idealization of landscapes. It’s more of an abstract interpretation than realist rendering. In other words, their own inner landscape.”

Wei was born in 1957 and raised in Beijing, China. After the artistic hinderance of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which banned painting from view and discussion, Wei found a fresh artistic voice when he came to Washington state through an artist-exchange program in 1989. He soon decided to stay in Seattle, where he still lives, to pursue further professional artistic possibilities. Wei has established himself as an accomplished artist with a significant following, and even has an upcoming exhibition at the Booth Western Art Museum in Georgia, opening February 22 and closing on June 10th, 2018.

Blue Rain Gallery is delighted to represent Z. Z. Wei’s refined representations of his admiration for the American landscape and to make them available for collecting. These inspired works are sure to provide a sensational viewing experience for any art-lover.

###

About Blue Rain Gallery
Blue Rain Gallery represents established artists of diverse backgrounds working in a variety of mediums. The gallery exhibits an inspiring collection of Contemporary, Western Heritage, and Native American Art. The collection is comprised of paintings—glass, bronze, and ceramic sculpture—pottery and jewelry. Blue Rain Gallery is located in the Railyard Arts District at 544 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Phone 505.954.9902. For more information visit the Blue Rain Gallery website, www.blueraingallery.com.