‘两栖双螺’— 陈伟潮
This artwork is another piece created from the thoughts that emerged during a special period when one could not leave home and stayed alone. The image presents two conch shells, with the lower body and upper body of a knight appearing at the openings of the shells. The knight, already protected by armor, further wraps himself in a shell to defend himself, revealing an excessive state of self-defense. The shell is hard, but the inside is weak.
Chen Weichao's painting practice primarily uses play—a life activity driven by intrinsic purpose and therefore freedom—as its theme. Through constructing humorous game-like scenes, his unique visual language creates multiple narrative spaces within the canvas, presenting an imagery-driven pictorial world with expressionist characteristics. He transforms the competitive and recreational aspects of the game into entertainment, reducing the visual symbols within the painting itself and weakening the sense of conflict brought by elements to achieve a sense of balance. He explores a fiercely competitive society where people compete for common goals within a framework of laws. He also explores the relationships between humanity, war, morality, and power.
