Li Lei 李磊
From ArtSpeak China (ASC) Wiki
Li Lei is an abstract artist, a trustee of the Association of Chinese Artists, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Young Artists Association, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute, and the executive director of Shanghai Art Museum. Li Lei has been creating and researching abstract art since 1996. [1] He is also the founder of ArtShanghai and presided over the organization of the Shanghai Biennale 2006 and 2008.
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[edit] Date and Place of Birth
Born in 1965 in Shanghai, Li continues to live and work in the city. [2]
[edit] Education and Development
Li Lei enrolled in the Huanshan Fine Art School at age fourteen and, after graduating, returned as a graphic designer to Shanghai and completed his studies at the Fine Arts Training College there. His interest in Chinese myths and folk customs led him to visit minority nationality regions where he became concerned with cultural and social issues in China. In his artistic development, he has lived through many cycles and work series including print, sculpture and oil painting, yet has never worked in the traditional style, remaining abstract throughout.[3]
[edit] Art
In 1996, he embarked on the research and practice of Chinese abstract art and became a pioneer for that genre in China by merging the essence of Chinese culture with what is generally recognized as abstraction. While deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy and culture, he has surmounted the formal strictness of Asian art and has found a free and open way to paint. In his current series, he applies layers of acrylic paint on the canvas and works them with brush and spatula. The results are striking images full of aesthetic and atmosphere. Abstract and yet concrete, as they always represent personal feelings and emotions; they “come from the heart” (Li Lei).[4]
[edit] Exhibitions
Li Lei’s work has been widely shown in China, mainly Shanghai and Beijing, but he also had solo shows in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Holland. A comprehensive retrospective of his work and life was published in 2006. For Li Lei's complete exhibition history, please click here.
[edit] Gallery Affiliation
Li Lei is represented by Alp Gallery in Shanghai.
[edit] References
- ↑ http://www.artactif.com/li-lei
- ↑ http://www.mocashanghai.org/index.php?_function=museum&_subFunction=news&news_id=141&_view=detail
- ↑ http://www.alpgalleries.com/li_lei_2008/li_lei_press_en.htm
- ↑ http://www.alpgalleries.com/li_lei_2008/li_lei_press_en.htm
