Painting the space between cultures

The oil paintings of Fu Rao, now based in Germany, reflect the influence of romanticism and expressionism. He has developed a compelling visual language defined by ambiguous human figures and bold, saturated colors.

At his ongoing exhibition, Rao Fu: Aurora, at Beijing's Red Brick Art Museum, running through June 21, viewers may sense echoes of Edvard Munch's anxiety, Peter Doig's dreamlike landscapes, and Daniel Richter's charged visual alchemy. These resonances point to Fu's ongoing search for dialogue between his cultural roots and the Western environment he inhabits daily.

That process has led him to a more assured state, where his brushwork illuminates the shared poetry and philosophy of East and West.