Blurring the line between movement and paint

The most recent MindScape works reveal a softer color palette and a more delicate sensibility in watercolor, says Katrina London, curator of the Pocantico Center.

"Pretty much all of his paintings at the Pocantico Center reference abstract landscapes in some way, but at the same time they speak to the choreography of dance. You can see the movement in them, and so they're kind of like these dream-like spaces that are in between a landscape and a dance and just the interior of his mind, his feelings and thoughts," she says.

"When I think about Shen Wei, I also really think about him as a global ambassador. I really feel that his practice, both across dance and also the visual arts, transcends cultural divides," says Mapplethorpe.

She notes that from a young age, Shen was immersed both in traditional Chinese gongbi painting and calligraphic practices, and also began studying Western portrait and figurative art.

"I do feel that when Western visitors come to see the exhibition, they will find a point of entry through their own experiences and knowledge, whether it's abstract expressionism, Chinese calligraphy or shanshui landscape painting. I think there are many different ways to appreciate and understand Shen Wei's paintings," she says.

Diverse experiences

Shen's lifelong fascination with art began at an early age, shaping the many facets of his artistic identity. "I have always pursued art and all things beautiful," he says. "It has guided my growth throughout my life."

Born in Hunan in 1968, by the age of 6, Shen was studying calligraphy and painting, and at 9, he started learning traditional Chinese opera. Years of practice deepened his appreciation and skill. Later, Shen discovered Western oil painting and murals. He also began studying dance, and in 1996, one year after moving to the United States, he began to explore film.

In 1989, Shen began studying modern dance through the American Dance Festival's program in collaboration with the Guangdong Dance Academy in China. Three years later, he became a founding member of the Guangdong Modern Dance Company, the first contemporary dance company in the country.

In 1995, after winning the first prize for choreography and performance at China's National Modern Dance Competition, Shen moved to New York on a scholarship from the Nikolais/Louis Dance Theater Lab. There, he expanded his artistic practice to include film, while continuing to explore new directions in dance theory, choreography and painting throughout the 1990s. In 2000, he established his own company, Shen Wei Dance Arts.