Following rave reviews in Beijing, Shanghai, Milan, and Rome, prodigious Chinese crossover artist Simon Ma took Miami by storm with the American premier of his "HEART • WATER • INK" exhibition at the prestigious Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University in Miami.

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Internationally renowned as a 21st century inheritor of the ancient traditions, Ma follows in the footsteps of the late Chinese Master Xu Beihong by creating an exhibition that unites the past and the present, East and West, in often fantastical combinations.

"HEART • WATER • INK" features over 70 of Ma's work, including paintings, freehand brushwork, Chinese ink hybrids, graffiti art, Chinese calligraphy sculptures, dimensional stroke and lacquer paintings, 3-D art video, projections, Murano glass, and large-scale dragon and horse sculptures.  

Horses are a recurrent theme in Ma's work, and the subject of some of China's most iconic traditional art. The focal point of the exhibition is "Ren Ma," a rearing, large-scale equine sculpture.

Says Ma, "The horse is loyal, brave, and kind-hearted. Through my horses, I hope viewers will experience the beauty, courage and strength of the Chinese people." 

"Ren Ma" means "Benevolent Horse" in Chinese, and 2014 is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac.

Born in 1974, Ma got his artistic chops from the best, studying art under Master Fan Tzu Teng before moving on to be the artistic designer for high-profile design-conscious companies such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Ducati.

Well-known in artistic circles, the world at large has begun to take notice of the Hong Kong-born artist. Named Cultural Ambassador by the United Nations Association in 2006, Ma also was awarded "Outstanding Cross-Over Artist 2013" by The Shanghai Tatler. 

"HEART • WATER • INK"  runs through to October.

TagsChinese art, Chinese Artists, Chinese Artist, Heart Water Ink