David in Piazza / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas / 2023
David in Piazza II / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas / 2023
David in Piazza III / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas / 2023
David in Piazza IV / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas / 2023
Dust from Fireworks / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas / 2023
Dust from Fireworks II / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas / 2023
Prometheus and the Eagle / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas/ 2022
Prometheus and the Eagle II / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas/ 2022
M. Butterfly VII / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas/ 2022
M. Butterfly VI / 160 × 120 cm / oil, oil stick, acrylic on canvas/ 2022
Installation View
Solo show: Lunar Fountains | Long Story Short LA, Los Angeles | Apr.01.2023 - May.06.2023
Solo show: Lunar Fountains | Long Story Short LA, Los Angeles | Apr.01.2023 - May.06.2023
Solo show: Lunar Fountains | Long Story Short LA, Los Angeles | Apr.01.2023 - May.06.2023
Solo show: Lunar Fountains | Long Story Short LA, Los Angeles | Apr.01.2023 - May.06.2023
Press

KAIFAN WANG

Lunar Fountains

LONG STORY SHORT LA

April 1 – May 6 2023

Kaifan’s latest series, Lunar Fountains, draws inspiration from his experience seeing fireworks illuminating the sky in the Michelangelo Square of Florence. A spectacle that brought his attention to the phenomenon in which moondust leaps from the moon’s surface before falling down again, creating the appearance of a fountain; and, like a water fountain, this dust atmosphere looks static, despite being composed of particles in constant motion.

“On the night I stepped into 2023 on the Michelangelo Square in Florence, the fireworks illuminated the night sky, their explosive sounds intermingling with the cheers of the crowd. Standing in the center of the square, I watched as one cluster of fireworks burst overhead, extinguishing in a flash, only for another to shoot up into the clouds in a frenzy of colors and sparks. The burnt-out embers and smoke fell straight onto my hair, face, and onto the people around me, settling on the iconic bronze statue of David, which still stands tall, its eyes fixed on some distant horizon. Despite the ashes and chaos, there was an undeniable beauty to the scene, a momentary and fleeting display of human creativity and joy.”

“Whether it’s the sparks that burst forth during sculpture casting, the fireworks in the Michelangelo square, or the Lunar fountains, they all involve movement and with movement comes loss, and that loss constitutes undifferentiated dust,” Wang notes. “Through painting, a radical but slow trend of movement is presented, with colors resembling dust settling and continuously layering on top of each other. The lines squeezed between the colors are like the veins of the David statue, strong and full of vitality. The squeezed and entwined color blocks create an internal tension.”

Exploring the philosophical significance of dust and its relationship with life, time, and space, Lunar Fountains features large-scale paintings that are simultaneously static snapshots and dynamic, ever-changing scenes.

Kaifan’s work explores themes of memories, culture, and identity. Born in Hohhot, China, he studied traditional Chinese painting before moving to Beijing, where he encountered contemporary art. Wang continued his studies in Shanghai and Florence, and completed his Fine Arts education in Berlin where he currently lives.

April 2023, Los Angeles