Culturalee spoke to artist Shuang Jiang, whose work is featured in Flourish: Gestural Abstractions in Bloom, the inaugural exhibition at Ronchini’s new Mayfair gallery space. Bringing together four women artists from three continents, the exhibition marks a vibrant and timely celebration of artistic vision during London’s Frieze Week.
Jiang’s practice centers on abstract expressions of nature, channeling both observation and imagination to reveal the delicate relationship between human beings and the natural world. Her paintings embody a sensitivity to the rhythms, forms, and fleeting impressions of life, offering an intimate yet expansive view of our place within nature’s continuum.
In Flourish, Jiang’s work enters into dialogue with fellow artists, each interpreting life and nature through their own distinct lens. This convergence not only highlights the strength of individual perspectives but also underscores the richness of shared creative space, where diverse voices and gestures collectively bloom.
You’re showing work in Flourish: Gestural Abstractions in Bloom, the first exhibition in Ronchini’s new Mayfair space. Did you create new pieces specifically for the show, and beyond responding to the theme, did the character of the building itself influence your work in any way?
The three works I’m showing are all recent pieces, but they weren’t created in direct response to the building itself. For me, what matters more is the dialogue and energy that flows between each of my works.
Have you crossed paths with any of the other exhibiting artists before, and do you see a visual or thematic conversation unfolding between your works in the space?
My studio is close to Michele’s. She is warm and charismatic, and our conversations, despite my limited English, have been a real pleasure. I also sense certain resonances between my work and that of the other artists—such as the abstract expressions of nature, a sensitivity to observing and imagining the world, and reflections on the relationship between human beings and nature. Sharing the same space allows each of us to interpret life and nature in different ways, which feels rare, magical, and truly precious.
The show brings together artists whose practices weave together gestural abstraction, floral motifs, and references to landscape. Could you share a bit about the work you’re presenting, what inspired it and how it came to life in the studio?
My practice revolves around the relationship between the individual and the wider living world—on life’s essential dualities of sharpness and fragility, the flow between conflict and harmony, and the transformation of forms. I’m inspired by close observation of life and the natural world and by some spiritual poetry and prose full of fantasy. I enjoy catching the “coincidents” on the canvas. They spark my imagination like spring rain over seeded field.
I keep a piece in my studio for a long time, continually observing and adjusting it to explore its visual possibilities until I think it’s finished. I don’t make sketches for a specific work, but I keep notes of my small inspirations. Before starting each painting, I always carry a fresh impulse, and that impulse tends to shift almost daily as chance effects emerge on the canvas.
It’s exciting to see four women artists from three continents coming together in a prominent London gallery during Frieze Week. How important is it to you to see platforms like this supporting women and artists from diverse cultural backgrounds?
I feel that the uniqueness of an artist’s practice comes from the intricacies of their life journey—details that can’t really be dissected unless you could unfold every frame of one’s lived imagery. Within the context of a strong gallery, when women artists from different cultural backgrounds come together under one theme, the distinctive qualities and spirit of each practice emerge even more vividly. There is both resonance and dialogue between us, as well as the vitality and individuality of each voice. It feels like a lively conversation, full of strength and personality, a display of abundant life energy, and a narrative the mainstream often misses.
Find out more about Shuang Jiang here.
