16 of the Best artworks from Art14 London

16 of the Best artworks from Art14 London
4 March 2014

I was very excited to see Art 14 and had great expectations that this one will top last year's fair. I enjoyed last year's exhibition and the number of international galleries exhibiting, it helped piqued my interest again in Asian art which I didn't have a lot of access to – living in London and Europe for almost 13 years. Thank God for this kind of art fair, I can see galleries that I normally won't be able to see here in London. 

This year, Art14 seems to be going on the same momentum with a lot of varied artworks from all over the world. There are some that I've recently seen at the London Art Fair a few weeks ago and a few other artists and artworks that were already featured last year. Kind of disappointed with that but I don't undermine that these are interesting artworks. Nonetheless, I'm glad I went because I have discovered artists that I haven't known before or haven't known as painters.

One of my favourite pieces was a painting by Gao Xingjian, the Nobel Prize laureate for Literature** who won for his novel Soul Mountain (which I read before I moved to Europe) who is actually a celebrated Paris-based painter. Gao uses Chinese ink to paint on canvasses with the technique of Chinese ink painting. The result of this is really a meditative piece. Zhao Zhao, the former assistant of Ai Weiwei, blew my mind with Waterfall, a mixed media installation of an imperial throne, washed with red wax dripping like blood. Another favourite of mine is Liu Wei's male portrait which almost feels like the handwork of Lucien Freud, reborn with a new contemporary Asian mindset. 

For those who weren't able to go to see Art14, here are some of my favourites:

Bikash Bhatta Charjee. Untitled, 1991. Dry pastel and oil on pastel sheet
Bikash Bhatta Charjee. Untitled, 1991. Dry pastel and oil on pastel sheet

Khalil Chishti. It's all plastic, 2012. Trash bags, plastic wire. ArtChowk (Karachi, Pakistan)
Khalil Chishti. It's all plastic, 2012. Trash bags, plastic wire. ArtChowk (Karachi, Pakistan)

Zakaria Rahmani. Faces of your other 39, 2010. Acrylic on canvas
Zakaria Rahmani. Faces of your other 39, 2010. Acrylic on canvas

Halim Al-Karim. Eternal Love 19, 2010. Photograph Lambda Paint
Halim Al-Karim. Eternal Love 19, 2010. Photograph Lambda Paint

Santiago Villanueva. Series Soft Therapy. Polystyrene, fibreglass, lacquer and stainless steel tube. Diana Lowenstein gallery
Santiago Villanueva. Series Soft Therapy. Polystyrene, fibreglass, lacquer and stainless steel tube. Diana Lowenstein gallery

Ai Weiwei scales. Sven Dahl/SDVS. Alexandre Ochs gallery. Germany
Ai Weiwei scales. Sven Dahl/SDVS. Alexandre Ochs gallery. Germany

Gao Xingjian. Nostalgie 2007. China ink on canvas. Gallery Frank Pages. Switzerland
Gao Xingjian. Nostalgie 2007. China ink on canvas. Gallery Frank Pages. Switzerland

Jonathan Leaman. New Year 1989-90. Oil on canvas. Beaux-arts London
Jonathan Leaman. New Year 1989-90. Oil on canvas. Beaux-arts London

Angela Giajcar. 2009-092 Terforation VII. 300g paper, torn using metal and plastic. Andipa Gallery
Angela Giajcar. 2009-092 Terforation VII. 300g paper, torn using metal and plastic. Andipa Gallery

Wanda Bernardino. Strangers. Oil on canvas. bo.lee Gallery
Wanda Bernardino. Strangers. Oil on canvas. bo.lee Gallery

Romuald Hazoume. Rat Singer: Second only to God. Mixed media. October Gallery
Romuald Hazoume. Rat Singer: Second only to God. Mixed media. October Gallery

Junebug Park. Puzzle 3-05 2009. Single Channel HD. Hanmi Gallery
Junebug Park. Puzzle 3-05 2009. Single Channel HD. Hanmi Gallery

Eku Nugroho (Indonesia). Let me think of you, 2012. Fibre resin figure, painted with acrylic, vinyl sheets and synthetic polyester
Eku Nugroho (Indonesia). Let me think of you, 2012. Fibre resin figure, painted with acrylic, vinyl sheets and synthetic polyester

Liu Wei. Portrait Male, 2011. Oil on canvas with frame. Lin and Lin Gallery
Liu Wei. Portrait Male, 2011. Oil on canvas with frame. Lin and Lin Gallery

Zhao Zhao. Waterfall. Mixed media. Alexandre Ochs Gallery. Berlin, Germany
Zhao Zhao. Waterfall. Mixed media. Alexandre Ochs Gallery. Berlin, Germany

JR. North Korea, Pyongyang 2012. Ink on wooden panels. Lazarides gallery
JR. North Korea, Pyongyang 2012. Ink on wooden panels. Lazarides gallery