Li Xiaoxuan: State of Mind

EVENT DESCRIPTION

This summer, New Art Est-Ouest Auctions is delighted to present the quintessence of Modern Chinese Painting, featuring the pioneering artistry of Li Xiaoxuan. Titled “State of Mind”, the show unveils a dazzling array of artistic treasures by Li that command rapt attention.

As a revered figure within the canon of Chinese ink painting, Li Xiaoxuan makes his highly anticipated Hong Kong debut with this exhibition. The carefully curated selection spans the breadth of the artist’s oeuvre, traversing the realms between tradition and modernity, portraiture and landscape. He deftly reinterprets and redefines the established visual language of traditional Chinese painting, seamlessly fusing Western modernist sensibilities with the time-honored techniques of the ink medium.

Li’s powerful, free-flowing brushstrokes and fine gradations of tone create a captivating synthesis, boldly integrating the planar concepts of the West with the inherent aesthetics of the Chinese artistic tradition. These beguiling works embody a harmonious marriage of Eastern and Western artistic visions, reflecting the rapid transformations unfolding within Chinese society while drawing inspiration from the expressionism modes of Western painting.

“State of Mind” presents a series of compelling, tension-laden pieces that showcase Li’s mastery in channeling the imagery-centric focus of traditional Chinese ink painting while incorporating the influence of modern abstraction and expressionism. The exhibition stands as a testament to the artist’s remarkable artistic acumen and his ability to forge a uniquely contemporary interpretation of the enduring legacy of Chinese painting and calligraphy.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Li Xiaoxuan (b.1959, Tianjin) is a celebrated contemporary Chinese ink portrait artist who graduated from the Chinese Painting Department of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. While he was the former Dean of the Chinese Painting Department of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, he currently serves as the Professor at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts and Master’s Degree Supervisor, Doctoral Supervisor of the Chinese Painting Department of Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts, Researcher of the China National Academy of Painting, and Member of the Chinese Artists Association.

Throughout his prolific career, Li has graced the global stage with his remarkable works, participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions across China, the United States, Japan, and France since 1984. His paintings have been honored with acquisitions by revered art institutions worldwide, including the prestigious Middlebury College in the United States, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, the Macao Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Changjiang Art Center in Taiwan, the Guangdong Museum of Art, and the esteemed China National Academy of Painting, and more.

Celebrated as one of the earliest pioneers of contemporary Chinese ink painting to express existentialist philosophical themes, Li's unconventional artistic vision in the early 1990s revolutionized the medium. His paintings masterfully transform traditional Chinese symbolic imagery into a bold, expressive impressionist style. Infusing the timeless elegance of classical line- drawn figure and landscape works, Li's art also incorporates modern interpretations ranging from realism to expressionism, drawing from the Western modernist tradition.

By skillfully bridging Eastern and Western artistic cultures, Li's socially engaged paintings poignantly reflect the absurdity and nihilism of contemporary urban life. His bold and iconic explorations in Chinese ink art have cemented his status as a trailblazer, inspiring new generations of artists.