Tao Zhengwei unveils his understanding of art and his awareness of life based on his experience of life couched in his own idioms. By doing this he intends to draw out his idea on the nature of art. He is an artist of enriched, delicate sensibility, keen observation, and meditative nature. He explores subject matter touching him in daily life and expresses his emotion through his keen insight. He also incarnates hypnotic, fantastic scenes in brushwork unique to him. Through this, he arouses multifarious emotions alongside memories and reminiscences innate deep in viewers’ minds. He has generated his own poetic color sensations. He has created his own hazy, mysterious yet animated scenes in brown, light gray or green instead of transparent, vibrant hues. This palette helps to bring about a hushed atmosphere, lending quietude to his paintings and enabling viewers to call their memories to mind.

On display at this exhibition are about 20 pieces that address the subject of “nature and object.” These works are largely pigeonholed into three types. The first includes the serialized works he did before his graduation, such as Journey Returned, Like Flowers, Filters into, and A Group’s Paradise. He was beset by his concern about the future before his graduation when he created these series. He did his utmost to represent not only his concern about his economic survival but also his interest in aesthetic aspects and social phenomena in his own artistic idioms. The series Filters into is a representation of absurd reality with things foreign to one another such as a book soaked in water, artificial teeth, and a skeleton. Journey Returned and Like Flowers lay out his perception of reality through a portrayal of an endless journey and days that are not flowery despite flowers in full bloom. He tries to explore the nature of art while expressing his perspective towards art based on his very personal experience.

The second includes works that bring time to the spotlight. At the time, he took the motif of his work from ordinary subject matter. He discovered traces of time in the process flowers blooming and falling, interior scenes wrapped up with light, and withering flowers and fruit. He visually represented quotidian affection and the meaning of time in life through modest objects. He creates imaginary scenes in his intrinsic technique of mixing diverse colors. This mood his work generates is like that of old photographs that make viewers feel calm. His works convey classical value and notions through quotidian objects we currently experience, not previous sights.

He seems to convey the message of his expectation about something dim and vague through such representations. His works are predicated upon his personal experience. Such experiences are considered common and universal in our time. He involves a placid exploration and meditation without putting emphasis on any grandiose value or overly inflated self-assertion. In addition, he unmasks his warm affection for incomplete youth in this process. He exchanges his inner real talk with the objects he discovers in his daily life. His comments bring about more resonances when overlapped with our everyday life.