Chak Man Lei’s exhibition, Tung and Sootzpah will open at Headbones Gallery on August 1 with a reception from 6 to 9 and the artist will be in attendance – all the way from China!

 Born in Hong Kong, Lei grew up in Macau (Cantonese language) until he was 12 when his family immigrated to Canada. Lei became a Canadian citizen, went to OCAD, and after six years in Vancouver dealing Chinese antiquities while maintaining his ink art practice, Chak Man Lei bought a one-way ticket to Beijing.  He learned Mandarin, set up a studio in one of the new art districts and now says “I feel more Chinese than the Chinese.”

 Lei’s work is based on Ink. In Chinese art, ink was used for elevated work with an intent to connect with the spiritual, seated in calligraphy and painting. Traditionally, a landscape was not begun plein- aire but by walking through the landscape. In solitude, from memory, the painting was created. Ink came from tung derived from burning pine trees so the essence was soot with added elements increasing longevity for image making.

 Headbones Gallery will also introduce the work of Tian Xiaolei, a video animation artist working with themes of generation and alienation. His videos explore a gamut of changes from birth to death, serenity to confusion, ancient to contemporary, the myths of the country folk to the plight of the modern Chinese. Refined yet expressive, the imagery is beautiful.

 Small hand-made books and collages by the street artist, ZiRan, will also be displayed. Billed as “councillor of discoveries”, one of “top ten art celebrities in China” and “contemporary artist innovating paper cuts” on his personal business card, Ziran’s work lives up to his name.

Headbones Gallery is proud to now have this timber frame housing by Lars Olesen for the sign made by Oakes. The elegant Thyra Nordic Timbre Frame design and construction is made from yellow pine and pinned together with oak pegs. Solid and stately, it marks the ascent to the gallery.