One of Zhang Zifeng's artworks is on display. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A multi-form exhibition, Transcendence, is underway in Beijing and is impressing visitors with a certain unity that comes from the neat, crisp character of the exhibits. Artists often search for metaphysical entities that transcend the ordinary reality of life. Some are striving to understand the unity of space and time, while others are driven by their extraordinary creative energy. Yet, the paradox is that they explore these highly abstract notions through concrete materials, such as metal and stone. Works of well-known artists Chen Zifeng, Li Yuanchen, Niu Yuhe, Wang Yijian, Xu Sheng and Zhang Tingqun are showcased at the exhibition.

German philosopher Hegeltoo liked to go beyond the appearance of what presents to us as inanimate matter. So he used to ponder over the mysterious quality of "metality" in metals. For him, the diamond "of the Earth" was "the first born son of light and gravity". Yet the artists are in a better position than the philosopher to transcend the inanimate surface of matter and give it life again through the exploration of materials.

The exhibition will last until Sept 30.

If you go:

ONYX Gallery: First floor of the 5th building, Dongfengwuhao Yard, Dongfeng South Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing