V & A - Blog Posts

LONDON CULTURE NOV 2013 Klee & The Chinese Masters

Qui Ying ,Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Detail) Early 16th Century. The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art Kansas City

Gaze of Silence Paul Klee 1932

Possibly Emperor Huizong, Auspicious Cranes  1112. Liaoning Provincial Museum

Comedy Paul Klee 1921

Attributed to Shi Ke, Two Chan Patriarchs Harmonising their Minds . 13th Century .

Chen Rong Nine Dragons (detail) 1244

Historical Site Paul Klee 1927

Yuan Jiang The Palace of Nine Perfections (detail) 1691

A Young Lady's Adventure Paul Klee 1922

This is my choice of London current important  exhibitions.

Masterpieces of Chinese Paintings from 700-1900 at the V & A. An incredible assimilation of rare art works from collections around the world. Categorized in different eras ans styles.  Objects of Devotion 700-950, The Quest for Reality 950-1250, Embracing Solitude 1250-1400, The pursuit of happiness 1400-1600, Challenging the Past and Looking to The West 1600-1900. The other part is that the exhibition is accompanied by the wonderful lectures and workshops not to be missed, Digital Dragons, Dim Sum Demonstration, Painting of The Mongol Dynasty in China and events for the whole family . Lastly there is a 14 day Imperial Jewels of China Cruise to be won and other prizes.. run to the V&A now. 

Down by the River at The Tate Modern  The Ey Exhibition: Paul Klee Making Visible, The "God" of Bauhaus . Abstract, geometric , organic. A magical man who was at one with cosmos as he was grounded in Life. He influenced so many other artist such as Rothko. 

"He used to gaze for a long time at his prepared canvas before he began the drawing… I have never seen a man who had such creative quiet. It radiated from him as from the sun. His face was that of a man who knows about day and night, sky and sea and air. He did not speak about these things. He had no tongue to tell of them. Our language is too little to say these things… Klee, when beginning a picture, had the excitement of a Columbus moving to the discovery of a new continent. He had a frightened presentiment, just a vague sense of the right course… Klee set out to discover a new land." Jankel Adler on Paul Klee .

One of my favourite artists of all time Swiss Paul Klee's  work is so refreshingly Modern but has the depth of another era that to me has not been seen in our Modern times of today. 

"I cannot be grasped in the here and now  For I live just as well with the dead  As with the unborn  Somewhat closer to the heart  Of creation than usual  But far from close enough."

Paul Klee own words on his tombstone. 

Enjoy. 

Masterpieces of Chinese Paintings At The V&A

26th October 2013 - 9th of January 2014

Corresponding  Workshops & Lectures 

Paul Klee at The Tate Modern

16th of October 2013- 9th of March 2014