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• Over The Wall, Hong Kong 2009-2010
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• The Artistry of Yixing Pottery: The K.S. Lo Collection of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
• The Artistry of Yixing Pottery: The K.S. Lo Collection of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
• The Artistry of Yixing Pottery: The K.S. Lo Collection of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

Qiu Jie’s dynamic influence-meshing makes his art fascinating. Using just pencil and paper, Qiu’s meticulously detailed works twist kitsch iconography into a landscape of traditional Chinese meets cliché West.

“How to eat bread and rice together is still an old question,” says Qiu. “The combination of Chinese and Western aesthetic should not just focus on style.”

Instead, Qiu tries to make his own connections. Of Shanghai origin, Qiu’s childhood pastime was tracing newspaper propaganda images. That experience, along with a few years in advertising, no doubt contributed to his incredible technique in recreating authentic popular iconography as one of the many Chinese elements in his work. Trained later in Geneva, where he now lives, his work evolved to become a fine fusion of his influences.

The result is comical, and sometimes risqué, art that is rich in detail. For example, one recurring image is that of a coy cat character transfigured into a portrayal of Chairman Mao, punning on the transliteration of the Chinese word for cat.

There’s a mythical quality to Qiu’s work, too, as the elements come together seamlessly on canvas, morphing the surreal into the ordinary. Even the underwear-clad 1950s American babe accepting a hamburger from cat Mao seems perfectly natural.

Bourree Lam

Starts September 4