Wang Jiajia - Elegant, Circular, Timeless

In the beginning, there are the eyes, big and eloquent eyes, yellow and squinty eyes, vertical slits of a cat's or a fox's pupils. They are looking out at us through thickets of painting, abstract brushstrokes in daring colors, in whose deep layers we find a convergence of painting time and viewing time. Chinese artist Wang Jiajia brings his own mix of influences to the canvas, between traces of traditional landscape painting and an academic training in London, inspired by the wealth of the Internet and the combined actions of abstract expressionism and video gaming. "I want to create works that draw you to them, battle for your attention, that are like a counter to all the rest of the shiny stuff online," the artist says. "So I use the same strategy to mirror this constant information flow: the paintings themselves are more layered, contain more brushstrokes, more techniques, thicker paint, and more varied colors, while the backgrounds contain hidden references, and the titles carry hidden meanings. I want each painting to be bursting with content."