Liu Yang Solo: Roadmap

EVENT DESCRIPTION

From 24th February to 3rd July, Artspace K will be presenting “ROADMAP – Sculpture by Liu Yang Solo”. The exhibition invites acclaimed contemporary artist Liu Yang, showing 23 small- medium scale bronze sculptures.

Liu Yang uses his hands, tools, and materials to create sculptures filled with local cultural customs, resonating with the viewers. Liu stated: “When I create sculptures in one place, I find that local children play in the shadow of my works. They grow with the sculptures. One day, these children may leave their hometown. When they return, everything may look different except those three-dimensional figures. Sculptures last, they are where the heart and childhood of people lie.” Through sculpture creation, Liu shows the distinctive landscape of the local scenery. These sculptures are city landmarks as well as carriers of emotion. They are, as Liu perceives, the best memories of the life that he can offer to the local residents.

Exhibition curator Lee Yu-Han said, against the backdrop of “Snow Baby”, a permanent display public sculpture at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics symbolizing friendship and the spirit of athletes, “ROADMAP: Sculptures by Liu Yang Solo Exhibition” presents bronze sculptures from his “Creatures and Geometry” series with a childlike touch to depict the interactions and emotions between people and the land. Applying bold and unrestrained postures to express happiness and warmth, Liu’s sculptures manage to present creatures and geometry with exaggerated proportions, amusing modellings and a minimal yet powerful expression, offering space for vivid imagination and storytelling.

Among the exhibits, “Under the Tree”, “Classmates” and “Say Hello” depict love for family, friends and hometown, conveying Liu’s idea for the strong nature of relationships, whereas “Swan Lake” and “Sleeping Beauty” are inspired by ballet, showing movement in geometric shapes. In the “ROADMAP” exhibition, some exhibits were created also in a large-scale form that were permanently collected and displayed by various countries. This time, we will specially present the images of his large-scale sculptures from various parts of the world, inviting audiences to join Liu Yang’s global creation journey. We hope this exhibition will remind audiences of the sculptures that represent their own native homes.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

As one of the most active Chinese contemporary sculpture artists in the world, Liu Yang is also a sculptor on the road. During college (1991-1994), Liu once learned from the sculpture teacher in the studio, starting from basic skills such as collecting and mixing clays and mold making. Inspired by his passion for sculpting, Liu began to carve on his own. In 2010, being invited to participate in a symposium in Korea for the first time, the world got to know the sculptor with unique style. After that, he travelled worldwide to join various countries' sculpture symposiums, create sculptures, as well as sharing art and culture.

Liu Yang's works span five continents, leaving 76 sculptures in 34 countries and regions, including India, Turkey, Russia, France, Italy, Australia and Brazil. Some of the sculptures have become permanent local cultural heritage that contain the cities' cultural, spiritual, and aesthetic significance. In 2012, Liu established the International Sculpture Symposium Alliance (ISSA), aiming to promote sculpture creation and cultural interchange internationally. ISSA has become the most influential sculpture organization globally, whose branches are in more than 40 countries.