Cloud Wanderings Of Wang Mansheng Opens At The Hammond Museum

NORTH SALEM, NY— A new exhibition opening Saturday at the Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden will feature paintings and calligraphy in the Chinese tradition by artist Wang Mansheng.

The works explore the spirit of the natural world and their contemporary meaning. The show will have three parts: landscape paintings and calligraphy in Guild Hall, colorful lotus paintings in the Hays Gallery and a selection of album paintings and the artist's tools in the central Goelet Gallery.

There will also be several programs to accompany the exhibition:

• Sat., June 11, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Artist's Talk & reception, open to the public
• Sat., July 9, Chinese Calligraphy Demonstration with Wang Mansheng
• Sat., Aug. 6, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m., "Yunyou" Writing Workshop, limit of 10 people

The Chinese painting tradition has been around for 3,000 years and throughout that time, Chinese art, particularly paintings and calligraphy, has been intertwined with the country's literary, philosophical, social and historical traditions.

As Chinese painting continues to evolve, Wang Mansheng is one of the artists best known for forging this path of development. According to the Hammond Museum, "Steeped deeply and broadly in China’s classical arts, Mansheng is also a global citizen fully engaged in today’s world. His paintings at once speak to the concerns and sensibilities of viewers now, throughout the world, and are inspired by China’s vibrant past."

Mansheng's exhibition has managed to juxtapose the traditional and contemporary in several ways. In ancient times, the concept of "cloud travel" ("yunyou" in Mandarin) was largely associated with the wanderings of sages and immortals, often connected to Daoism, Buddhism and folk beliefs. Due to the contemporary meaning of the word "cloud" for online data storage, "yunyou" has now taken on a new connotation of traveling through the internet. In his exhibition, Mansheng explores both meanings of "yunyou", thereby creating a dynamic bridge between China's past and modern times.

The "Cloud Wanderings of Wang Mansheng" exhibit will be at the Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden from May 28 until August 13.

The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden is located at 28 Deveau Rd. in North Salem. More information can be found on their website.

About the Artist:
Wang Mansheng was born in Taiyuan in 1962 and started studying traditional painting and calligraphy, largely independently, from a young age. After attaining a degree in Chinese classics from Fudan University in Shanghai, he directed and produced documentary programs at China Central Television. Wang moved to Dobbs Ferry in 1996 and turned his focus to calligraphy and painting. His influences include traditional Chinese literati art, Buddhist art, and, more recently, the Hudson Valley. He uses non-traditional materials such as reeds from the Hudson River and homemade ink made from black walnuts. The artist’s works have been exhibited in China in Beijing, Shanghai and Shanxi province, as well as in the United States, including at the Brooklyn Museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Huntington Art Museum, and Connecticut College.

About The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden:
The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden, in North Salem, New York, was founded in 1957 by Natalie Hays Hammond (1904-1985) as a place where Eastern and Western cultures could be appreciated and visitors could enjoy the beauty of nature. The Hammond consists of an art museum that presents a changing roster of exhibitions, as well as offering educational programs and classes. The highlight of the Hammond is the Japanese Stroll Garden, which occupies 3 ½ acres, is centered around its pond, and includes numerous rare Japanese plants and trees, as well as species native to Westchester. Also on the grounds is a traditional Japanese tea room, which was imported from Kyoto and is used for tea ceremony events. The Hammond is open to the public from April to November.