2008-05-06
Li Hui: Portrait of a YoungChinese Sculptor
Huang Lingling
When Li Hui was born in the late 1970s in Beijing, China was at the onset of
a major transition, with rapid changes taking place on both the political, economic
and cultural fronts. Traditional culture, stifled by decades of restrictions,
was making a comeback, while foreign cultural influence filtered back into the
country. As a result, long-held historical views as well as established values
were being questioned, leading to scepticism towards politics, society, ideology
and lifestyle. Not surprisingly, we may find less angst in the artists and writers
born from this period, but more uncertainty than in the art of the preceding generations.
Li Hui graduated with honours in 2003 from the Sculpture Department of the Central
Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. In five years, his work has attracted international
attention, making him one of the most successful sculptors of his generation.
Curators and collectors familiar with his work know that this rapid success is
not fortuitous, but well deserved.
My own interest in Li Hui's work began when I encountered his stainless steel
sculpture Guzheng. In this sophisticated, double-edged work, Li Hui sculpted the form of a military
aircraft carrier and then inverted it, transforming its hull into the body of
a classical Chinese musical instrument known as the guzheng (a 25-stringed zither.
Imitating the strings of a guzheng, steel wires stretched from one end of the hull to the other, while the hull
itself appeared to have been pounded by some powerful force. Among these strings,
one was broken, and it transfixed my attention like brilliant points of light
in a painting, evoking a surge of images in my mind. I stood rooted to the spot,
completely fascinated. The curved steel plate was like an iron fortification being
bombarded by the zheng's surging waves of sound. This phenomenon of sound waves
penetrating steel relates directly to concepts fundamental in the training of
Chinese Daoists: "The great sound is scarcely voiced; The great image has no form;
The softest thing in the world rides roughshod over the strongest." In this way,
Li Hui leads the viewer to reflect more deeply on questions of war and of peace.
At the time, I reacted to this work on a purely visceral level. Later, I met with
Li Hui on a foggy Beijing evening to discuss his work.
Tall and stocky, with his long hair twisted into a bun, Li Hui has a straightforward
gaze that imparts an air of no-nonsense frankness. Yet when he breaks into his
trademark dimpled smile, another side of him is revealed�a side that is ingenuous
and full of curiousity. Li proclaims himself to be a firm believer in the Zen
concept that everything is contained in the present moment, and quotes a line
from an ancient Zen text�Collected Essentials of the Five Lamps of the Southern
Song dynasty-- to underscore this point. Following this code, Li Hui does not
allow himself to get bogged down in extraneous problems, but is intensely focused
on the present task of perfecting himself as an artist. In conversation with Li,
I was surprised and deeply impressed by his grasp of Eastern and Western philosophical
theories. It is clear that in his creative process he incorporates elements of
this philosophical understanding into his work, with the result that while he
does not deal with popular political or social topics, people from a broader spectrum
of society are able to relate to his art.
...read more on C-Arts Magazine (ISSUE#03) read more in ARTISTS PROFILES @ C-ARTS VOLUME-03
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HIGHLIGHTS
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2011-03-30
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Van Gogh Alive – the Exhibition set to open on 16 April 2011
Singapore (30 March 2011) In commemoration of Van Gogh’s birth date today, the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands announced that it will host the world touring premiere of Van Gogh Alive – the Exhibition. Visitors will get to experience Vincent Van Gogh’s art work come alive in an exhibition that will combine the latest in sound and projection technology using images of Van Gogh’s masterpieces.
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2011-01-05
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Works by Vincent Leow A mid-career survey of Vincent Leow’s oeuvre marking a new direction in the artistic practice of Leow,
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2011-01-05
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Organized by Hou Hanru in collaboration with ShContemporary 9th September, 2010
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2031-01-01
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An interesting exploration into art in Singapore by nineteen artists, including seniors like Tang Da Wu, Jimmy Ong and Zai Kuning “who have lived
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2010-10-06
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The installations of Java’s Machine: Phantasmagoria by Augustinus Kuswidananto (a.k.a. Jompet) have been shown in a number of variations, exploring syncretism or strategies to reconcile
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2010-10-06
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Filipino artist Bembol Dela Cruz presents the concept of art reflecting art, with an explosive narrative that carves life out
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2010-10-06
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Islamic art in Indonesia used to be associated with religious calligraphy only, but in 2009 Lawangwangi’s exhibition of Contemporary Islamic Art showed that calligraphy is just a form of language.
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SPONSORED
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EMERGING ARTIST
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 There is a new epidemic trend in the contemporary art of Asia sweeping through the population of younger artists: Animamix Art.
Amalia Kartika Sari
Each artist has a full right, and at the same time an obligation, to explore forms and ideas continuously, although naturally there will be many obstructions and challenges along the way.
Hayatudin
“A community is often proud of a certain building, viewing it with a sense of grandeur. Meanwhile, a range of monumental idioms are often used to mark great moments in history.
Edo Pillu
 From different generations and cultural backgrounds, S Teddy D and Daniel Flanagan present together their collaboration on Transubstantiation.
Daniel Flanagan
From different generations and cultural backgrounds, S Teddy D and Daniel Flanagan present together their collaboration on Transubstantiation.
S Teddy D
 Not unlike other Filipino-Americans who journey to the Philippines to learn more about their roots, Hanna Pettyjohn undertook such a passage in reverse.
Hanna Pettyjohn
I do not wish to become a president, professor, doctor, governor, celebrity, corruptor, politic expert or anything else.
Nyoman Darya
Solo Exhibition:
1998 Urban Personality Exhibition, Chongqing, China
2001 Hangzhou Jincai Gallery
He Wei-Na
 Ong-Arj’s painting has point out thoroughly content in a society condition today. Even it express through looks weird human image.
Ong-Arj Loeamornpagsin
 Fazar paints with his heart. He believes that his interpretation is like “worship”. Any composition existing in his painting is his effort of concretizing what he feels.
Fajar Roma Agung Wibisono
 With great imagination, he has been using a very unique artistic language to express his very much primitive and strong emotion on the surrounding characters.
Yang Pei Jiang
 In Ardana’s works garlic becomes most artistic in various ways it is rendered whether it is presented individually or in groups of bulbs, cut open, blown up, its thin and transparent layers peeled, as well as severed and torn.
Dewa Ngakan Ardana
Filippo Amato Sciascia (born at Palma, Di Montechiaro, Italy, 1972) will present his solo exhibition of his recent works titled Lux Lumina at Kendra Gallery of Contemporary Art from the 12th December 2009 – 14th January 2010.
Lux Lumina
 Hui Xin’s art addresses both the phenomenon of our constant need for visual stimuli, as well as our desire to be surrounded by objects that give us pleasure. His new paintings and sculptures bring out a dichotomy between naive happiness and adult-themed amusements.
Hui Xin
Since childhood, Nano has enjoyed reading comics, even producing his own comic book in junior high school. Comics became the first visual art Nano came to know.
Nano Warsono
2002:"Ilusi Koran", Semarang Gallery, Semarang. "Transisi", Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta.
Budi Ubrux
 Selected Solo Exhibition
2005:“Paradoks Batas”, Edwin Galeri, Jakarta. 2003: “Painthink”, Edwin Galeri, Jakarta.
F. Sigit Santoso
 He got The Special Award From The 25th Exhibition of Contemporary art in 2008 and winner Prize from 11th Panasonic Contemporary Painting Competition when he postgraduate.
Chalermpon Ratanakomonwat
 The inspiration behind his recent paintings came in 2005 while he was observing his second child was a son. People say that when babies sleep they are guarded by angels. This common experience evoked a wave of questions: Was the baby dreaming? What was he dreaming about? What was he feeling?
WAHYU GEIYONK
 “Many artists like to ponder on the past and the present through the history of human civilization,” says young artist Wang Mian. “With pieces of information and inspiration they
WANG MIAN
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