Chen Haiyang

I visited White Rabbit Gallery and was really pleased to find this repository of great contemporary Chinese art in the wilds near Central Station. Some of my favourites in the current exhibition were Chen Haiyang's gorgeous paintings on wood. These are something like reverse wood-block prints, where the block itself is the artwork. It's hard to tell in the picture but all the highlights are actually chiseled out, as if the thing is about to be used to actually stamp a page in the traditional way.
This initial conception is belied by rich, impressionist sweeps of colour and intricate painted details. These made me very happy. If you live in Sydney, definitely take the time to check out White Rabbit in it's entirety, there was a lot there worth seeing.