e-magazine
The Hot Zone
China's newly announced air defense identification zone over the East China Sea aims to shore up national security
Current Issue
· Table of Contents
· Editor's Desk
· Previous Issues
· Subscribe to Mag
Subscribe Now >>
Expert's View
World
Nation
Business
Finance
Market Watch
Legal-Ease
North American Report
Forum
Government Documents
Expat's Eye
Health
Science/Technology
Lifestyle
Books
Movies
Backgrounders
Special
Photo Gallery
Blogs
Reader's Service
Learning with
'Beijing Review'
E-mail us
RSS Feeds
PDF Edition
Web-magazine
Reader's Letters
Make Beijing Review your homepage
Hot Links

cheap eyeglasses
Market Avenue
eBeijing

Web Exclusive
Web Exclusive
UPDATED: December 3, 2008 Web Exclusive
Content in Emptiness
Soul Guardians: In an Age of Disasters and Calamities is the latest exhibition from a Taiwanese sculptor which embodies icons from Chinese cultural history
By HOWARD SCOTT and YUAN YUAN
Share

Li Chen, a Taiwanese sculptor who has exhibited all over the world, was recently in attendance at the Asia Art Center, in 798 District, Beijing, with his latest works. Entitled Soul Guardians: In an Age of Disasters and Calamities, the exhibit is loaded with iconic imagery reflective of the artist's Zen beliefs, but is also a comment on the current climate of the world today.

While the works are imbued with Chinese symbolism, universal themes of death, eternity, the elements, and nature also recur in his past portfolio. What is seen in the works of Li Chen are figures with a playful grace in a serene poise, a lack of pain and emotion, and a spiritual detachment from the suffering in the world that can, perhaps, only be accomplished by a Buddhist artist.

Beijing Review: Can you tell us about your history in sculpting?

Li Chen: When I was in grade two in primary school, I started to be interested in painting. At that time, I was about eight years old. I always drew on walls and books and couldn't listen to the classes. I was a naughty and noisy boy and only painting could calm me down. Painting can make me happy because I can express my own world by that. In high school, I took some professional lessons on painting, and in Grade Three in high school I started taking interest in sculpting. Since I like running around rather than sitting quietly, sculpting is three-dimensional, and I could move around the sculpture instead of sitting in front of a desk painting. By sculpting I can move, it is my style.

Since when could you support yourself by just sculpting?

I held my first exhibition in 1999, and before that I made a living doing other jobs. After my first exhibition, my work was appreciated by many people who introduced it to people of many other countries. The material benefits don't mean that much for me. Sculpting is my lifelong love and career. If an artist has a lot of money, most probably he would be bonded to his wealth.

Where do you specifically draw inspiration from in life, and from which other living or dead artists?

At first, I just thought it was very interesting. And then I saw the works of some famous sculptors. But as for myself, I didn't learn that much from western masters. I went to Europe for travel and to visit some art museums for the works of Western masters. I saw a lot of nude sculpture and was moved by that. But I didn't grow up with a western cultural background, and I cannot be totally absorbed in those sculptures. I am not a regular sculptor with a regular education of art. What I approached since my childhood is Chinese culture; I like antiques, and I am a Buddhist as well. I always go to temples. So what influenced me most was just Chinese culture. I think every culture should have new life, and have its energy. Now globalization just tends to make life easier, not make different cultures similar. I have strong feelings for traditional culture. I think the life of culture is very important, regardless of whether it is traditional or modern, because modern art will also become traditional as time goes by. Culture is for people to share, just like music. I keep trying to find a new way, which is both traditional and modern, to express art.

The theme of the exhibition seems to be doom and destruction, the fall of mankind and the wrath of the gods, but your early works reflect spiritual calm with pieces of relaxed Buddha's in soft subtle shapes. Why this dramatic direction in mood? And what do you want to express by this?

I prefer to express some philosophical and spiritual things. My early works serve as a healing method since I lost my family members. I grew up with my grandma, I felt very sad when my grandma passed away, and 10 years ago, my father also passed away. That was a tremendous grief for me. When you grow older, you can feel the importance of the connection with family members. I am a very tolerant person. I am religious as well. Human beings have gone through such a long history, and Jesus can still have such a strong effect on people. For my early works, they look calm. People say those works look calm and quiet and pure. Actually that is a spiritual journey for me. I avoided despondent feelings when I made these works, and the process of creating these works gave me satisfaction, so I try to heal myself in this cathartic way. For the exhibition Soul Guardian, I prepared for it for 10 years. If you study my early works carefully, you can still see some hints of social activities at that time. In the past few years, I noticed more social phenomenon. One and a half years ago, I started work on this series. But my ability is limited. In real life, we always use the word "magic" to describe something extraordinary. When a person is very strong, we say he has "magic power". That is why I created the sculpture Judge, as well as Tu and Na. I put a red chair there for visitors to sit down and look at the sculpture with a humble attitude. There are so many uncertainties in nature; human beings should realize how small they are. And the chair also allows for evil people to check themselves. I like to use dark colors in my works. I want my works to have lingering effects on visitors. There is an expert who commented of my works that they are both abstract and non-abstract, and I want different people to have different explanations for my pieces.

Art seems to need to be more and more controversial in the modern age; do you think this is merely a way to draw attention to peoples work?

I respect all ways for artists to express themselves. As for whether that is just for pleasing the public with claptrap, they know that by themselves. For my works, the decorations are necessary. I think there is a good phenomenon that has started from 798 arising into a new art wave. But things will turn into their opposite when they reach the extreme. It is ok for people here being crazy about art, but if it is too much, that is another thing.

Can you say what role art plays in China's modern society?

I would like to call China is an irritable country with irritable culture. I think people should learn to be tolerant and moderate and accept different ideas. After that, many problems will be solved and the country will be led into a right direction. In 2000, I went to Shanghai. At that time I didn't have much feeling about the art market in the mainland. Now I think the developing pace of art is very fast. The traditional art, including ink paintings is still the mainstream, and modern new art is not the mainstream, and I think we should put some new elements in tradition. China has a history of more than 5,000 years. The mainstream things cannot be changed by just a wave of thought or something.

Chinese art is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Is there a strong demand for Chinese art now? Does China play a more and more important role in world art market today?

I can't say if Chinese art works have a big influence on the world. Every artist just relies on his own experiences for creation. And society does not have many limitations on free expression. In 798, we have so many topics, including some criticism, but they can all show themselves here. We should have a rational view on China's position in the world; we have a responsibility to deal with the relationship between human beings and nature. Every country is looking at China, some focus on the economic development in China, and my focus is on the culture, and new culture in China, to see whether it has become more tolerant and has more new forms. I think it is still too early to evaluate the influence of China on the world. It will take time to form some influence and I don't think China has formed a strong influence in international world, but the future is promising. Actually I am not a pessimistic person, I am optimistic. What I mean by "tolerant" is I accept many different art values.



 
Top Story
-Protecting Ocean Rights
-Partners in Defense
-Fighting HIV+'s Stigma
-HIV: Privacy VS. Protection
-Setting the Tone
Most Popular
 
About BEIJINGREVIEW | About beijingreview.com | Rss Feeds | Contact us | Advertising | Subscribe & Service | Make Beijing Review your homepage
Copyright Beijing Review All right reserved