Jingze Du 杜京泽
Artwork’s Title: The Road, The Smell And The Moist Soil
Materials Used: Oil on canvas
Year: 2019
Studio Based: London
Art Verge
Can you tell us about the process of making your work?
Jingze Du
I usually start by having myself soaked in a lot of information. I then process it by either comparing, or using my own background as an anchor. My Chinese upbringing makes me work practically and pragmatically. I started living in Ireland at 13, where I also learnt to solve problems abstractly. Therefore, I always treat my work in both a goal-oriented manner, as well as trusting in the process.
My current work is motivated by my attempt to cope with the fast paced capitalism. Social media and noises all affect the images I produce. Power is a key theme of my work at the moment. However in this painting in particular, I was thinking more of the power of heritage.
How would you define your work in a few words (ideally in 3 words)?
Neo-Dada, Neo-geo, Postmodernist.
Would you use another three different words to describe the ‘The Road, The Smell And The Moist Soil‘ painting?
麦当劳。
How did you come up with this painting idea? Is there any story behind this painting?
It started with an old photograph of my grandfather. I wanted it to be more universal, also I always felt that the face contains too much information. I was testing out ways to communicate identity at the time, and I wanted the image to be more simple and direct. This is one of the first paintings where I block out the face with a flat plane of colour.
What colour is used the most in this painting?
Black, white.
What would be the best way to exhibit your work?
Depends on what year it is.
Can you mention any artists you, lately or generally, take inspiration from?
Johnny Honky, Jennifer Guidi, Roy Lichtenstein, Franz West, Jean Helion, James Rosenquist, Jeff Elrod, Sterling Ruby, Ron Gorchov, Joe Andoe, Michel Mouffe, Kim Young-Hun, Mika Tajima, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein, Paul Cézanne etc.
How do you know when this painting was finished?
When it can start to speak for itself.
What about the place where you work? What’s your studio space look like?
I like to keep a big open space, but my desk is always orderly messy.
Is there any particular message that you wish your viewers can take from this painting?
No, not really. When I was younger, I had a lot of things that I wanted to push out there. Now, it’s more about learning about myself and trying not to take thing too seriously. I used to always think it as a very selfish, almost a snobby idea, now I learnt it’s quite the opposite. It helped me to understand others better, and I became much more open to new experiences and ideas.
What does your mum think about your art?
She doesn’t always get what my work is trying to do, but she supports me nonetheless. Like every great mother, she tries to tell me what she thinks is best, and I‘m really fortunate to have that.
Which exhibition did you visit last?
The Jamian Juliano-Villani show at Massimo De Carlo Gallery in London.
Which are your plans for the near future?
Work on my English.
Additional Works:
© All images are courtesy of the artist