Qiu Deshu, Ink, oil, and acrylic on paper, 1984
In the 1980s Qiu Deshu developed a method of artmaking he called “fissuring”, which involves using traditional Chinese mounting techniques to build up layers of paper, which are painted with ink, mineral colours or free-form seals. In his “Great Power” series, which are included in this show, with repeated depictions of Buddhist deities he captures the divine power present in the ancient Silk Road Buddhist cave temples and creates bold yet meditative contemporary images.
Qiu Deshu was born in Shanghai in 1948. In 1979, he organized the famous “Grass Grass Society”, a group of twelve artists dedicated to the development of modern art. His works have been widely exhibited and collected in the United States, Asia and Europe.