The Lament: Mountain Ghost: Cheng Ran

Ota Fine Arts is delighted to present "The Lament: Mountain Ghost", the very first solo exhibition of Cheng Ran in Japan. Based in Hangzhou, China, Cheng is well known for his video works which possess cinematic beauty while incorporating Western popular culture as a theme. For this exhibition, Cheng will present his latest video work The Lament: Mountain Ghost (2018), which is richly composed of several layers: the aesthetic sense of ancient China, a dance by a young performer living in the current society of China, Shanghai's urban landscape and electronic music. The sculptures presented together in the space express the abstract beauty of how pigments spread on crystal resin atop the surfaces of a light box and television screen respectively. The fundamental inspiration for this video work is the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who is known for his passionate attitude and care for his country's fate without regard for himself. We are pleased to introduce the unique worldview of Cheng Ran, exploring the sensibility in today's world through the ancient poetry of China.