Anna Zhao anna.whizh@yahoo.com TWO Shenzhen artists are displaying 50 oil paintings at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum through Sunday as part of a series of exhibitions presenting local artists organized by the Shenzhen Artists Association. The paintings, by Shi Fei and Xie Fei, both of whom came from Dafen Oil Painting Village in Longgang District, are characterized by the portrayal of episodes in social life that tend to be oblivious to ordinary eyes. The paintings by Shi center on human figures and sketches of urban cities against a background of modernized transformation. Shi, who comes from the countryside in northeastern Heilongjiang Province, said some of his paintings were inspired by clashes between bustling urban life and the solidarity of humans’ inner world. In a painting by him showing a blindfolded child sitting by a window, the artist modeled the subject on his son, whom he said epitomizes a left-behind child that lacks care from parents preoccupied with earning a living. Old villages and ports are dominant topics in Xie’s paintings. Xie said such images are reminiscent of his childhood, images he wanted to recover that are dimming in people’s memories. “My paintings of old villages are based on those around the country that I’ve visited in past decades. I present them in the language of art, so they are not mere photographic reflections of natural scenes,” Xie said. As artists of original works in a market that thrives on counterfeiting renowned paintings, both Shi and Xie have admitted that it’s difficult for them to secure a good living through painting. “Art is something I have to pursue for a lifetime. When I feel economic pressure, I accept orders to produce cheap paintings to support my family. But my love of producing original paintings has never been swayed by the market,” Xie said. Dates: Through June 21 Venue: Guan Shanyue Art Museum, 6026 Hongli Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路6026号关山月美术馆) Metro: Longgang or Longhua Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit B | 