Liu Wei (65) 刘炜

From ArtSpeak China (ASC) Wiki

Liu Wei is a Chinese painter whose work ranges from his early participation in the 1990s Cynical Realist movement, to the more abstract and expressive landscapes with which he has preoccupied himself in the past decade. Born in Beijing in 1965, Liu lives and works there today.

Contents 1 Date & Place of Birth 2 Education & Development 3 Art 4 Exhibitions 5 Gallery Affiliation(s) 6 Acquisitions & Auctions 7 Interviews  8 External Sites

Date & Place of Birth

Liu was born in 1965 in Beijing.

Education & Development

In 1989, Liu earned his degree from the Printmaking Department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing.

Art

Liu Wei is a prominent figure in the Cynical Realism movement that arose after 1989. One of his best-known paintings, New Generation (1990), shows two children slouching in front of a large image of Mao. Since the 1990s, Liu has developed a semi-abstract style that demonstrates wide ranging influences including expressionism, Chinese calligraphy and ink-brush painting. Dogs and other animals, people, flowers and landscape typically melt and morph into unidentifiable shapes, which reflects Liu's belief that all of them have souls and are essentially the same. Rather than concentrating on people's alienation from and sarcasm toward authorities, Liu's themes have also become more universal, dealing with desire and lust, decay and decomposition, freedom and manipulation of expression. In recent years, the Beijing painter has also branched out to videos and performance art.^[1]
Like his counterpart Fang Lijun, Liu has been perceived as displaying a kind of mischievous humour in his work, exemplifying the skepticism engendered after the brief but idealistic period starting from the end of the Cultural Revolution and leading up to the year 1989. With Deng Xiaoping’s economic and social reforms introduced in the late 1970s, China began opening its doors to new ideas, including capitalistic ideology and western culture. During this period intellectuals challenged past Maoist modes, allowing new ideologies and philosophies to emerge and flourish, which in a sense created a certain air of idealism and freedom to think among the younger population.^[2]
In New Generation, Liu uses childhood images of himself and his brother as models, placing the children in front of a typical image of Mao. As Francesca Dal Lago notes, Liu plays upon the notion of Mao the icon and Mao the historical figure. By placing the Chairman behind the children in his painting, Liu acknowledges the significance that the leader played in everyday life, yet emphasizes his current status as mere historical figure. No longer taking centre stage, Mao is relegated to the background, demanding acknowledgement of his past influence, and altogether powerless to change the future.^[2]

Exhibitions

Liu participated in the 46th Venice Biennale in 1995, and has had solo exhibitions at the Jack Tilton Gallery in New York in 1999 and the Urs Meile Gallery in  Switzerland in 2004.

For Liu Wei's full exhibition record, click here.

Gallery Affiliation(s)

Liu Wei is represented by several galleries worldwide, including Aura Gallery and Beijing Commune in Beijing, Goedhuis Contemporary and Max Protetch in New York, Galerie Loft in Paris, and ArtChina in Hamburg.

Acquisitions & Auctions

For a list of collections containing works by Liu Wei, click here.

For Liu Wei's full auction record, click here.

Interviews 

To view a video interview of Liu with Studio Door China, click here. 

External Sites

http://www.artzinechina.com/display_vol_aid150_en.html

1. ↑ http://www.artzinechina.com/display_vol_aid150_en.html
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/find-liu-wei-biography-and-artwork-at-saatchigallery-153591.html