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“White Cube,” Oil on linen, 117 x 81 cm, 2018 “Falling down,” Oil on canvas, 35 x 45 cm, 2018

string through the bottle top. It contains a cider-vinegar-col- fulness – without sacrificing the power of his technique and
ored liquid. This is all in front of a white square of canvas on vision. None of this is gimmicky at all. There is a thoroughness
which two cuboid orthotopes are painted – a painting within a to the artist’s approach that displays the relentless quality that
painting in which nothing is natural while the nature of reality comes of passion. So, now arises the question, what is Qiheng
is toyed with. The white sheet of canvas itself is pulling away Liu up to?
from the surface to which it is affixed, at the bottom. In other
words, it too is lifting up, not falling, as the title implies. Spread He may be an emerging artist, but he is emerging fully formed.
beneath all this is a patchwork quilt, rising from the “floor” – These paintings are clear evidence of an artist who understands
sort of a magic carpet, if you will. the absolute necessity of controlled self-expression, which is at
the basis of any true artist’s oeuvre. One also cannot help but
Falling Down also examines another interesting contradiction look forward and ask, “What’s next?”
that exists in the relationship between glass and light. The bot-
tle casts a shadow. Think about this for a moment. Light that
passes through clear glass also casts a shadow of the clear glass Stephen DiLauro is a recognized authority on art and artists. His essays,
object. The painter is steering the viewer’s attention, creating a articles and criticism have appeared in many prominent publications, in-
conversation about a natural contradiction which we see all the cluding Smithsonian, Miami Herald Sunday Magazine, Ameri-
time but most likely do not notice. can Artist, Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as in books, catalogs and
monographs.
In What You See Is What Is Going To Be, Nice to Meet You,
Here I Am, and all the other titled and untitled works in the Stephen DiLauro ©2019 First International Serial Rights.
glass bottle paintings, the artist maintains this aesthetic play- All other rights reserved.

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