Zhize Lv

Almost always dealing with nature, Zhize Lv’s paintings depict landscapes that are tranquil and strange, natural yet heightened. Perhaps this stems from his use of colour, something that is rooted in black, white and red. Sometimes, he combines the three, while occasionally we might catch shades of pink or even a touch of yellow. Either way, this reduced palette allows for accentuated detail and a sense of contrast. The more we look, the ordinary becomes striking. We register the lack of people. These landscapes show minimal, if any, human intervention. And yet, if the landscapes are unblemished, there is something strange about Lv’s treatment of them. The red mist that often envelops them sits somewhere between the otherworldly and the mediative. Rather than inviting us in, the paintings carry an artificiality that makes us take a step back and asks us to consider our relationship with nature, art, and our surroundings.