Shen Wei traverses cultural bridge

Shen said he hopes his exhibition allows people to feel something universal, from the shared human sensitivity to beauty in nature, to the invisible essence of the natural world and the sense of timelessness within it.

"This, I think, is a human commonality. In Chinese culture, this feeling is especially strong, and it can be expressed through traditional Chinese artistic forms. At the same time, you can present it in a more direct and contemporary way, which makes it deeply powerful and moving for audiences," Shen said.

Ben Rodriguez-Cubenas, program director at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, said: "I think his aesthetic is beautiful because it brings together both Eastern and Western traditions, so everyone can connect to it. And that feels especially important today when the world is so divided. A cultural exchange like this really brings people closer. His work inspires people — many here have said how deeply moved they were by it."

Jose Gabriel Capaz, a Cuban painter who also received a residency from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, said he sees a universal combination in Shen's work.

"I love when an artist works in a more complete, universal way, not limited to the canvas. In this case, it's amazing, and I really enjoy it. I think it's a mix of Western and Chinese art, not national, but something beyond that. I can see this fusion as something very much of the 21st century. For me, everything belongs to one world, one culture, not two separate ones. Sometimes people find it difficult to understand that, but I think the world is one now, and we all need to bring our energy together as one," Capaz said.

At the opening event at the Katonah Museum of Art, Shen Wei Dance Arts performed excerpts of the 2004 creation Connect Transfer. Dressed in blue, pink, yellow and purple, the dancers' bodies dipping in multi-color paint leave their marks on the canvas floor, creating a colorful abstract painting.

Chelsea Retzloff is a former dancer with Shen Wei Dance Arts who now serves as the company's administrator and education director. She has performed as a "stroke dancer" many times to transfer Shen's artistic connections onto canvas.

"I have been completely covered in paint many times, and it takes many days to wash it off. But it is really fun. It's very cold, and it's very slippery, and it really tests your ability as an artist to make decisions quickly. It really challenges them in a different way than regular modern dance," said Retzloff.