Fish fun

The depictions of fish, whether done in figurative or semi-abstract representations, recur in Chinese art for their auspicious embodiment of prosperity and productivity. The scene of clusters of fish swimming between aquatic plants in pools is a favorable motif that can be found in classical ink paintings and centuries-old porcelain pieces. Fish, Play, an exhibition at Beijing's Mint MAO space, shows Zhang Baohua's paintings in which he ushers this highly decorative motif into a contemporary context. In his work, Zhang, a professor of Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts and Design, develops a surrealistic atmosphere by placing fish between pine trees and in the sky, meanwhile retaining the poetic, seclusive feeling in ink tradition. The exhibition runs until April 24.

10 am-6 pm, closed on Mondays. 120 Yangmeizhu Xie Jie, Qianmen area, Xicheng district, Beijing.