Nearly 60 works by Fang Lijun, known as one of the four giants of Chinese contemporary art, are on display at Sands Gallery, which is located on the 6th floor of the Grand Suites at Four Seasons.
Titled “Fang Lijun Ceramic Works Exhibition” and overseen by veteran curator Luo Yi, a recent Sands China statement noted that Fang’s densely structured and highly delicate “skin-like” ceramics are displayed at the exhibition, using the material as an “artistic language” in a “brand-new artistic development”, departing from his iconic bald-headed figures and flamboyant colour aesthetics.
The statement noted that the exhibition is themed “Bone of the Bone, Flesh of the Flesh”, taking inspiration from the story of God’s creation of Eve using one of Adam’s ribs. The exhibition examines the idea that bones and flesh are life’s origin and explores their connection with the process of Creation, the statement said.
During the opening ceremony for the exhibition last Tuesday, Fang said in his speech: “Artistic creation centres around humanity, without a fixed standard. I have used ceramic as the medium to imitate the physical layers of the human body, thereby initiating broader and more direct representations of life through lifelike ceramics”.
He also thanked the gallery for the opportunity to first show his recent ceramic works in Macau.
An internationally sought-after artist whose work has been featured in international art museums and art foundations, among others, Fang is from Hebei province and is a graduate of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He is a pioneer of the mainland’s “Post-1989 New Art Movement,” “Rascal Culture,” and “China Pop”, according to the statement, and is the first Chinese artist to have his work featured in The New York Times Magazine.
Fang has experimented with different materials and media over the past decade, the statement said, and has applied them in projects such as ceramic installations and outdoor public artworks.
“Exhibitions like this one, featuring unique and exquisite artworks, support Sands Gallery’s development into a high-level platform for artistic showcase and exchange”, Sands China Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director Grant Chum Kwan Lock said during the ceremony.
“We hope this and other exhibitions will cultivate art appreciation among our visitors, inspire Macau’s artists, and stimulate the local cultural and creative industries”, he added.
The exhibition runs through June 24. The gallery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to free admission.
Fang Lijun describes his works to visitors during the exhibition’s opening ceremony at Sands Gallery last Tuesday.
Fang poses with one of his pieces after last Tuesday’s opening ceremony at Sands Gallery. – Photos by Rui Pastorin
