Ren Zhitian's new ink wash paintings

ART LABOR Gallery is pleased to present our second solo show of Beijing based artist REN ZHITIAN. One of the most inventive calligraphy/ink wash artists in China today, Ren creates work through an inventive process which enables the viewer to enjoy Chinese calligraphic painting, without requiring a knowledge of the actual meaning of the characters, a generous gift to the 75 percent of the world who don't understand the actual meaning but still appreciate the beauty of one of the the world's most beautiful written languages.

His recent works, beginning with last year's very popular black ink fountain installation outside PACE in 798, and culminating with his 25 meter long "Tower of Babel" silkscreen print currently showing in the White Space in Beijing, continue this exploration of the universality of the message within text and image. His works emanate from a love of the entire world and the issues that are shared within it, global warming, geo-political hotspots, nature, and the cosmos. On his way around the globe, Ren stops in unpredictable locales - the poles, Mount Rushmore, darfur and the Vatican - and imprints the philosophical messages over top in his graffiti-like contemporary calligraphic style.