Summer Xia | Mellow Reapproached

×

Expand

Summer Xia, “Mellow Reapproached,” 2024

(courtesy of the artist)

Summer Xia is a well-known name in Vancouver's art scene, primarily due to her long tenure as the Vice-Chair of the Asian Art Development Committee at the Vancouver Art Gallery, her position as a director of Yishu Art Magazine, and her recognition as an Outstanding Woman of British Columbia, Canada. However, few know that she is also a painter.

Having studied at the Huashan Fine Art School, the Fine Art Department of East China Normal University, and later furthering her studies at the Shanghai Academy of Chinese Painting, Summer dedicates herself to ink painting practice in her daily life. As Zheng Shengtian, Director of the Institute of Asian Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery, states, "Summer Xia is a very modest artist. She has never stopped painting, nor does she seek attention. She paints not for others, not for exhibitions, not for fame, but as a personal necessity, both spiritually and physically, to express her feelings through the language of art. This is the best state for an artist and the most enviable state."

Xia’s works transcend mere appearances. At first glance, her paintings may resemble close-ups of flowers, birds, lotus ponds, and grass clusters, but upon further inspection, they evoke distant landscapes. She employs traditional freestyle brushwork, combined with splashed ink and varying dry and wet techniques, to depict a familiar yet indescribable atmosphere, with scattered forms yet cohesive spirit. Her brushstrokes often seem intentional yet unintentional, lightly skimming the paper, giving her paintings a more feminine quality compared to the deeply etched strokes in traditional literati painting. Unlike traditional Chinese painting frameworks, her works lack inscriptions, systematic composition, and deliberate blank spaces, yet they leave infinite room for imagination.

Thanks to the kind invitation from Evon, the owner of Vancha, Vancouverites now have the opportunity to view a series of new works recently created by Summer Xia. 

Curator: Steven Dragonn