Chengwei Geng, who has cerebral palsy but she uses it as a strength rather than a weakens in order to define her art . Her work focuses on “Fictional Memories”, believing we all subconsciously alternate our memories to our likings or to a certain level which are bearable. “In the end, people are just disappointing.” She always says “We eventually realise we can choose what we remember and that we’ve been doing it all along. It’s not a sin if you want your life a little more romanticised. Words are limited when it comes to unconsciousness, exploring human connections and desires is an endless road, her paintings shows the ‘unfilter-ness’ of shameful feelings. Navigating through the fictional world created by the artist, a safe place that prepare us for the search of a community. Re-identifying objects for a more intimate value and connections. Painting takes her to a different world, allows her to escape the sad truth that she deals with everyday, the discomforts of muscle tension aside; the disappointments towards herself when the limitation of activities and the insecurities in communicating are the things that make her sad.
Portfolio – February 2023 – CLICK HERE
The protagonist in her paintings is called “circle”, a little spirit who is always confused and wishing for a hug. She created circle to tell the story of a lost child finding a place to call home. This started when she doesn’t feel accepted by the surroundings, a home is not where we were born but where we are wanted.
The protagonist started with just close up portraits, then appeared with a room’s interior, eventually a fictional landscape was created for the character to navigate in. Circle is without hands or legs cause being a cerebral palsy patient she suffers from muscle tension which hinders her control over movements, and she always hoped she could just float so life might be smoother or easier. Creating such a world so she can forget about the hardship of navigating the real world and the inevitability that everyone endures their own fate.
Circle became a representation of everyone’s deepest desire and insecurity.
In her paintings, the strokes are spontaneous. The intensity and precision varies, depends on her physical condition on the day. Here are some of the exhibitions where she has been featured.
Art and Design Foundation Course Graduate Show
(Grand Parade Campus, University of Brighton) — 2016
Fine Art Painting Second Year Show
(Grand Parade Campus, University of Brighton) — 2018
Fine Art Painting Third Year Graduate Show
(Grand Parade Campus, University of Brighton) — 2019
Free Range Graduate Art and Design Show
(The Old Truman Brewery, London) — 2019
Work-in-progress Show
(Battersea Campus, Royal College of Art)— 2019
MA Degree Show
(Satellite Exhibition, Cromwell Place London) —Jul 2021
Creativity is a Global Language
(Royal College of Art Online Exhibition) — 2021
Fictions Made for Believing
(Solo Show at Liquid Gold Studio) — Apr 2022
Custard Cowboy
(Collective Group Show at Liquid Gold Studio) — May 2022
Print Ecology
(Contributed in a print show raising money for the MA Art & Ecology, Goldsmiths,
degree show at Liquid Gold Studio) — Jun 2022
My name is a curse… submerge me in the cold
(Solo Show at Liquid Gold Studio) — Sep 2022
Overspill
(Group Show at Terrace Gallery – Patchwork.xyz) — 19 Oct — 13 Nov 2022
EPITOME
(Group Show at The Holy Art London Gallery) — 19 Nov — 28 Nov 2022
