Artist Wang “Pearl” Ge welcomes everyone to her new gallery space at 185 Kilauea Ave. in downtown Hilo.
Ge was born in 1969 in Langfang, a small city near Beijing. Her father, Wang Zai, was a published artist and well-known local calligrapher. Influenced by her father at an early age, Ge learned to draw and appreciate the traditional Chinese culture.
In 2007, Ge was introduced to an ancient cloisonne style of painting which originally was developed during the Byzantine Empire and later perfected in China during the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). A visionary and innovator, she quickly mastered the art and developed her own patents using sand-based paint.
After the outline of an image is drawn on a board, the tedious process of inlay work begins. She cuts, bends and glues into place gold-colored aluminum wire to follow the outline.
The voids left by the wire are then filled with a veritable rainbow of brilliant-colored sand suspended in a solution of water and glue, maintaining a keen eye to shading, depth and texture. When dried, the painting is then sealed with an acrylic spray to render the work fade and water resistant.
As a result of her unique style of painting, Ge has earned the appointment as a folk artist by the Beijing Folk Artists Association of China.
Wang Ge Gallery also offers classes from 10 a.m.-noon Monday through Saturday.
For gallery hours or more information, call 987-3215.