Zhi Art Space｜Shenzhen is thrilled to present Spanish-Chinese artist An Wei’s first solo presentation in the Greater China Area – “漫漫卡米诺 A Slow Boat” – from 3 December, 2024 to 25 January, 2025. This exhibition features seven groups of paintings and installation works created since 2020. These pieces draw inspiration from the artist’s poetics on life in Spain and China, as well as fragments of memory. Through these series of work, An Wei engages in a dialogue between traditional cultural conservation and modernity, offering profound reflections on the world around him. Each artwork is thoughtfully integrated into the exhibition space, utilizing innovative display methods that challenge conventional viewing perspectives of traditional painting. The exhibition also pays homage to the classic European genre of painting – Still Life – while providing a contemporary interpretation.
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An Wei was born in a Cantonese immigrant family in Madrid, Spain. Strange yet familiar, the city of Shenzhen is the long-missed hometown of his parents. Growing up in a traditional Chinese household as a millennial, An Wei’s thoughts and artistic practice have been deeply influenced by Chinese culture, fostering a sense of nostalgia and hope for his distant “homeland”. Despite living abroad since childhood, he fondly recalls spending his early years drawing at the dining table amidst an array of spring rolls and sweet and sour pork.
In An Wei’s works, realistic elements such as scaffolding, cigarettes, windows, porcelain, and Roman amphorae serve as symbols that capture fleeting moments of daily life while reflecting themes of diaspora, loneliness, and introspection within a multicultural context. His art acts as a mirror, revealing the complex psychology underlying his artistic sensibility; beneath the vibrant imagery lies an exploration of personal identity and cultural recognition.
The exhibition title “漫漫卡米诺” cleverly intertwines Chinese and Spanish cultural elements, highlighting their simultaneous connection regardless the geographic distance. The phrase “路漫漫其修远兮，吾将上下而求索” (The road ahead is long and has no ending; yet I will search high and low) is drawn from the Chinese classic anthology Chuci “Li Sao”, symbolizing the resilient spirit of exploration in a long journey. In Spanish, “Camino” means “road” or “journey”, denoting to an important cultural symbol: the famous pilgrimage route—Camino de Santiago – leading to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. This journey is long yet filled with unwavering faith in pilgrimage; thus, the spirit embodied in “Camino” resonates with that of “漫漫”.
The English title “A Slow Boat” originates from the Western saying “On A Slow Boat to China”, an expression frequently referenced in literature and music. Here, “China” transcends its geographical definition to symbolize endeavors that require significant time but ultimately come to fulfillment. From Sonny Rollins’ jazz song in the 1940s to Haruki Murakami’s debut short story, this motif conveys profound reflections on time and journey. For An Wei, he embodies a drifting, rootless slow boat – not merely heading towards his “homeland” or a dream place but embarking on an intangible yet deep inner exploration. Throughout this journey, he continually seeks self-discovery while contemplating existence; his delicate insights into life and profound reflections on cultural roots are woven into his experiences along the way.
Exhibition Site
