Zhao Haitien: Forever Young

Forever Young seemed to be the most appropriate title to describe Hai Tien (b. 1940’s, Shanghai) works on show at AO Vertical Art Space. Hai Tien is not bogged down by age; on the contrary, she darts around the studio like a spring chicken, with the same enthusiasm and energy as she started out about 50 years ago. In her heart she will be forever young, and this is what eventually shows.

Practicing meditation had a profound influence on Hai Tien‘s work.
Hai Tien encountered Buddhism first while studying visual arts in in New York.
Originally she was influenced by the visual expression of Buddhism, she was mainly inspired by the Buddhist visual culture such as the giant sculptures she came across on her frequent trips to China.
At that time the artist produced meticulous detailed airbrush figurative paintings, in muted earthy colors with notions of perspective.

Later over the years Hai Tien deepened herself in the philosophy of the religion and applied Buddhist methodology to her own self- development.
Practicing Buddhism has freed the artist of the dominance of her mind to a liberated state of being using painting as a direct reflection of her soul.
So the same themes are depicted free from form and spatial arrangement and expressed in a collective of bold lines in vibrant colors.

As Ian Findley (Asian Art News) poignantly stated: “Hai Tien has always been interested in the lively spirit of life and to show this in art is to take pictorial risks that may appear to some as idiosyncratic. Taking risks, however is a strong characteristic of her as an artist.”