Liu Ye draws on a rich collection of literary references in ‘Naive and Sentimental Painting’, his exhibition currently on show at London’s David Zwirner gallery. The title, which references John Adams’ 1999 symphony Naive and Sentimental Music, offers a clue as to the cultural breadth spanned within.
The exhibition – marking the first time Ye’s work has been seen in London since 2002 – pays tribute to the movements and characters that have shaped his aesthetic. Authors and figures including Vladimir Nabokov, Hans Christian Andersen and William Shakespeare are portrayed here, alongside modern Chinese figures such as actress Ruan Lingyu and writer Eileen Chang. The paintings, rife with historical references and intertwining European and Chinese influences, cast an intimate, atmospheric tone. Here, Liu Ye tells us what inspired him in the creation.
