The vision and art of He Qi
10/01/2009
Parkway United Church of Christ's newest exhibit features 21 works of art by Chinese artist He Qi (pronounced huh-chee). He Qi's work is a blend of Chinese folk art and traditional painting technique with the iconography of the Western Middle Ages and Modern Art. He Qi is especially influenced by the simple and beautiful artwork of the people in rural China. "Within that framework," he notes, "I seek to redefine the relationship between people and spirituality with bold colors, embellished shapes and thick strokes."
He Qi's vision arises out of remarkable personal experience. He was among the many people sent to the countryside during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. As a young man, he escaped hard labor by painting pictures of Chairman Mao Zedong. During those years, he once found a copy of Renaissance artist Raphael's Madonna and Child in a magazine, and was so moved by it that he began to paint copies of it at night.
He Qi earned a doctorate in religious art from Nanjing Art Institute, having studied medieval art in Hamburg, Germany. He was a professor of Christian Art at Nanjing Theological Seminary before moving to St. Paul in 2004. The exhibit runs thru November 22 at 3120 Washburn from 11-3 p.m. T, W, Th and by appointment, 612-522-2982. Visit www.parkwayuccminneapolis.org.
