Peng Wei

In light of the rapid modernization of her home country, Beijing-based artist Peng Wei has developed an artistic practice that mourns—or else denies—the loss of China's cultural heritage to the forces of globalization. Peng is particularly troubled by the increasing popularity of Western clothing and styles among women throughout China, and she therefore aims to reassert and continue Chinese traditions through her thoughtful employment of classical ink and color painting. Her intricate renderings of pagodas, landscapes, trees, and other decorative motifs appear upon a variety of fashion-related items, in a seamless fusion of past and present.

Peng’s painting of classical Chinese robes on paper and silk are especially nostalgic. These meticulously executed works may at first seem like sketches for contemporary, mass produced designs. They function, however, on a much deeper level, engaging China’s rich histories of painting and court dress.

A solo exhibition of Peng’s work was staged at the He Xiangning Museum in Shenzhen, and she has been recognized in group exhibitions at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, the National Art Museum of Malaysia, Fukuoka Asia Art Museum in Yokohama, Kunstmuseum Luzern in Switzerland, and others.