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A Collection of Virtuousness II
By Liu Hong Yuan
Vernissage: 11 December 2008 6:30 pm - 8:30pm
Exhibition: 12 December 2008 - 10 January 2009
Venue: Main Gallery 21-31 Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong
Liu Hong Yuan's second solo exhibition A Collection of Virtuousness II will be proudly presented by Schoeni Art Gallery, with opening on 11th December 2008. A phenomenal young talent at the age of 31, Liu articulates her unique representations of history and tradition with grace and superb mastery. The former graduate of the Central Academy of Fine Art possesses a genuine fascination with antiquity which is deeply influenced by her family background, with her grandmother being a connoisseur of the Chinese opera. Her depiction of ancient figures wearing traditional costumes and performing Beijing opera are inspired principally by her fading memories of tradition, including distinctive childhood memories of objects and even smell, that allows us to share her very own way of experiencing the past.
At first glance, one cannot resist the captivating force that draws our attention to the mysterious yet gloomy and bizarre images of her oeuvre, reminiscent to the 17th century Dutch Realism style. On a closer look, Liu's painstaking rendition of embellishing details can be observed, thus leading to a deeper contemplative level, where a feeling of sorrow and decay underneath the gorgeousness and splendour of a magnificent era is gently exposed. The dream-like and distant atmosphere and background conveys an almost fairy tale-esque air, not to mention its accompanying sense of cheekiness. Liu's artistic complexity is further enhanced by her use of classical tempera method by constructing an embossment-like base using gypsum for her characters and objects which she then dyes. This handicraft is in fact one that requires extreme patience and love, as she applies layer after layer of translucent paint which she creates from scratch by using minerals and other materials. Such technique and rough texture perfectly creates a worn out and blurry spirit that accurately reflects the unavoidable truth about the fading nature of memory and history. Her art consists of retelling history through her own eyes and perception, represented through a modern era and modern techniques that make traditional culture appear the more mysterious and marvellous.
Upon her first solo in 2005 at the age of 27, Liu has spent 2 years contemplating her next series before she actually picked up her brush. In this latest collection, we can clearly observe the artistic developments of Liu Hong Yuan in both style and technique. She bravely experiments with interpretational techniques, taking her style to a more expressionistic and symbolic level. In her Agate Series for example, the characters seem somehow disproportioned and compressed, further enhancing the enigmatic weirdness of the world she portrays. Liu has also skillfully employed a rather symbolic usage of the mirror in a few of her works, which heightens the viewer's notion of looking into a remote space, enabling them to penetrate deeper into the painting through the reflection of her protagonists. Liu Hong Yuan's studies of still life are classical and serene, and by adding elements of life into the canvas, such as the rabbit, she manages to elevate the charm of the art piece as a whole.
Born in Baoding of Hebei province in 1976, Liu Hong Yuan is surely a rare and exceptional artist, whose works transcend a physical narrative level by unifying traditions, fading history and memories together with modernisation. It is after all a mesmerizing world Liu successfully renders with delicate formality and poise, just as she explains: "A wordless state always produces nice feelings; a sober state helps making one's interests more sustainable. I tend not to think too much when I paint. In this dreamland, I can put reality aside and break away from the dark gloom of life for awhile, singing while I am painting."
Click on image for an enlarged view.
Agate Series
Mixed Media on Canvas
@ 190 x 120 cm, 2007
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Far Away
Mixed Media on Canvas
70 x 42 cm, 2008
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Reflection
Mixed Media on Canvas
59 x 67 cm, 2007
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In the Shadow of the Red Light
Mixed Media on Canvas
91 x 117 cm, 2006
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For interview arrangements with the artist or the gallery director, or further information please contact Daniela Cavero.
| Exhibition venue: |
Main Gallery, 21 - 31 Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong
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| Opening Date: |
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, 11 December 2008
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| Exhibition runs: |
12 December 2008 - 10 January 2009
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| Contact Details: |
Tel: +852 2869-8802 Fax: +852 2522-1528
prmarketing@schoeni.com.hk
www.schoeni.com.hk
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© Schoeni Art Gallery Ltd. 2008.
All rights reserved.
Images of art on this website may not be reproduced
without prior permission of Schoeni Art Gallery Ltd or the
artists.
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