Shanghai Dialect - Chinese Fan

BEI Jiaxiang’s Shanghai Dialect - Chinese Fan series sails into the confluence of Eastern and Western aesthetics as a boat.

Shanghai Dialect - Reserved Grace

Oil On Canvas

98×138cm

2015

In the work of Reserved, several sharp and swift brushstrokes cut through the warm ochre and ivory white color fields, blending into a refined composition with angular edges amid harmony. Yet in Sharing, a circular fan frame encloses the center of the picture, guiding the viewer’s gaze along the gradient of cyan-gray and crimson, as if ink wash naturally spreads on xuan paper. These fan shapes are no longer merely structural components; they divide space, guide vision, and become a silent dialogue between the traditional literati’s wisdom of space arrangement and Western abstract composition principles.

Shanghai Dialect - To Share

Oil On Canvas

80×100cm

2015

Meanwhile, the content of fan transforms into a spiritual carrier bearing cultural memories. BEI uses oil paint to simulate the breath of ink wash: in The Svelte Pair, thin layers of blue and gray-white intertwine into a hazy background, with a woman on the right leaning against a round fan she holds at an angle. The blurred pattern on the fan resembles either a crane, a piece of agalmatolite, or perhaps just a graceful figure. From a distance, it resembles the classic minimalistic figures from the Song Dynasty, while up close, it reveals the flickering light and color of Impressionism.

Shanghai Dialect - The Svelte Pair

Oil On Canvas

80×100cm

2015

What is most moving about this series is the poetic dreamlike quality given to the fans. In Full Moon, a nearly luminous jade-green fan is placed at the center of the composition, like a splash of coolness falling into a warm orange glow, making viewers feel as if they are awakening from an old, tender dream. In "Years," the round fan almost merges with the attire of the woman on the left, its faint rose-red glow flickering amidst a cool atmosphere, like a wild tiny flame in a forgotten memory. When the richness of Western oil paint meets Eastern imagery, the cinnabar, cobalt blue, and silver-gray flowing between the fan ribs are no longer just pigments; they are frozen morning dew and evening mists—BEI Jiaxiang’s heartfelt depiction of nostalgic symbols.