Ma Ke - Journey to the West

Born in 1970, Ma Ke is a distinctive painter whose art is difficult to define. In his second solo exhibition at Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle the artist focuses on the depiction of his iconic figures, such as the central, repeatedly recurring figure of the equestrian; as he roams through the dark forest, for example, or tries, almost surreally, to keep his balance on a thin rope. Often the figures, floating free from the background, are in a moving balancing act. The title of the exhibition
confronts the viewer with two controversial associations. On the one hand, “Journey to the West” can be read as a critique of the Chinese social structure: four fairy-tale figures from the classical Chinese narrative are setting off towards the West. On the other hand, the dark forest backdrops and the consistently overpainted background point to the connotation of fictitious, Western values, which are always addressed but often remain utopian. It can be seen that by minimalizing and abstracting his own practice, the painter attempts to carve out “a thread of truth” from the chaotic reality. In this way, the painter encourages the viewer to question the relationship between their being and the nature of the world. In other words, Ma Ke explores his own model of being through his art.