VEERE THROUGH THE EYES OF THE CHINESE ARTIST, HE JIANG

In collaboration with Gallery Maritime from Middelburg, Museum Veere organizes an artist-residence project. From January 26 to January 30, 2016 the Chinese artist He Jiang who is living and working in one of the ancient Chinese water-village Xitang, had artist residence in water-town Veere, Zeeland.

The Chinese artist He Jiang will work in Veere and make drawings along the Veerse quay. And, if possible, he will make interior drawings of the old Veerse houses.

The series of new drawings, supplemented with his artwork that Gallery Maritime Middelburg has in stock, will be exhibited from January 30 till March 4, 2016. Title of the exhibition is 'Veere through the eyes of He Jiang '.

The official opening of the exhibition is 30 January 2016, 3 pm in the presence of the artist. (Location: Museum Veere; Ancient Town Hall, Market 5, Veere. Open daily 13:00 – 17:00)

He Jiang lives and works in Xitang, one of the six old water villages in Jiangsu. These old villages have been recently restored. And they are on the World Heritage list of UNESCO.

He Jiang works with the ancient Chinese pen & brush technique. This old drawing technique gives an extra dimension to his images. A drawing of an old building or the daily life in Xitang gets through his handwriting a traditional character. The spectator feels himself taken to a bygone era.

In the period 2006-2009 He Jiang was a participating artist in the China/Dutch art exchange project "East meets West" that was organized by Gallery Maritime. This project got a sequel in Wuxi (China). He Jiang and four well-known Chinese artists offered eight artists from GalleryMaritime an ‘artist residence’. The Dutch maritime artists worked in the ancient water villages for a month. This cooperation resulted in a Dutch maritime exhibition in Wuxi of nearly seventy artworks and the erection of a new Chinese Maritime Museum.

The ‘Artist Residence’ is an old custom in Veere. From 1870-1970 Veere was an artist colony where hundreds of artists from all over the world, for shorter or longer periods of time found, their residence. Veere was and is the source of inspiration for many painters who are called "Veeristen".

Hey Jiang is the first Chinese ‘Veerist 2.0’