|
At just 12 years old, Xeo Chu is setting sales
records with his colorful, abstract paintings, which are selling
for more than $150,000 and are being compared to works by
renowned American artist Jackson Pollock.
Now the seventh grade student from Vietnam is hosting his first
solo exhibition, at the George Berges Gallery in Manhattan's
upscale SoHo neighborhood. The exhibition titled "Big World,
Little Eyes," which opened on Thursday and runs through Jan. 2,
comes years after the artist who started painting at age 4 made
his first sale.
"One customer came and bought my painting and I was really
happy. That was when I was like 6. Yep," Chu said.
Chu first picked up a paintbrush after begging his mother, who
owns an art gallery in Vietnam, to allow him to paint with his
older brothers.
For the New York exhibition, Chu created an unnamed 15-foot (4.5
meter) long, four-panel piece.
"My mom told me I was going to have an exhibition in New York.
So, I was like, 'Oh, let's make a big painting for this.' That
took like three months," Chu said.
When asked what he likes about painting, Chu said: "The
creativity. I can do a lot of things with a painting. I can
choose, like what I would draw or what detail can I put in or
what color. Stuff like that."
Chu's work has been compared to Pollock, a major figure in the
abstract expressionist movement of the 1940s and 50s. One
difference, however, is that Pollock produced his most famous
pieces at the pinnacle of his career, decades after his 12th
birthday, said gallery owner George Berges.
Chu "is producing similar work at the start of his career. So,
it's very interesting to see where that's going to head," Berges
said.
(Writing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Nick Macfie)
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
