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Discovering Liu Ruo Wang and his oeuvre of works which continue to amaze and surprise the art world.
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Young Sculptor, Liu Ruowang
Liu Ruowang was born in 1977 in a small village in Jia county, Shanxi Province. A graduate of the Northwest Institute of Textile Science and Technology, he continued his studies in Beijing in 1999. Liu graduated in 2005 from the Central Academy of Fine Arts where he was a teaching assistant and postgraduate student. His graduation series "东方红 (The East is Red) was submitted for the Central Academy of Fine Arts "学院之光 (Light of the Academy)" Excellent Works Exhibition Award and was separately acquired by the owner of the famous Beijing Art Now Gallery, Mr. Huang Liao Yuan, and the principal of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Mr. Fan Di An; gaining the recognition of both the art market and academics.
Thereafter, Liu Ruowang produced a new series of works almost every year - from "东方红 (The East is Red)" to "人民 (The People)", "车马仪仗队 (Honour Guard)," "天兵 (Heaven Soldier)," "狼来了(Wolves Coming)," "高山流水 (Melody)," "原罪 (Original Sin)" and "发现渡渡鸟 (Discovering the Dodo Bird)." His works centre on Chinese tradition and the use of cultural symbols, the contemporary state of mind and the spirit of human culture. In 2015, Liu Ruowang's signature work "狼来了(Wolves Coming)" was selected for the 2015 Venice Biennale at the International Art Museum of San Marino and won the Classical Culture Award of the city of Naples in Italy. In 2014, the Art section of China's National Publicity Film featured Liu Ruowang's series "东方红 (The East is Red)" and "狼来了(Wolves Coming)" not once, but twice.
Introduction to Works
人民 (The People) Series: Using the traditional Chinese painted sculpture method, Liu Ruowang portrays the loyalty of the Chinese nation - which has undergone tragic circumstances. The people's fate has barely changed throughout the ages, there is still a social hierarchy present and the same ceaseless sacrifices that culminate as a result of revolutions, with citizens not knowing the reason for their heroic sacrifices.
狼来了(Wolves Coming) Series: 2008 was the year the financial crisis struck, gravely affecting a whole spectrum of industries and businesses. This set of works used the transformative power of the artistic language to reflect the sentiment of the times. While he first derived the idea in 2007, he finally completed the 110 wolf sculptures as well as that of a single warrior in 2010 - an achievement that served as an artistic landmark, transforming the Beijing 798 Art District.
发现渡渡鸟 (Discovering the Dodo Bird) Series: The Dodo bird is also known as the Mauritius Dodo, with links to the Turtle Dove or Nicobar pigeon (Rodrigues solitaire). It is a type of flightless bird that originates from the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Within 176 years of being discovered by humans, the Dodo was rendered extinct due to hunting and the effects of human activity. In addition to the dinosaur, the Dodo is one of the most famous animals to be driven to extinction and is one of the only birds that has been designated as extinct in Mauritius. The artist borrowed this concept in order to evoke profound reflections of modern civilization and elicit introspection of the plight of living species in relation to the human condition.
原罪 (Original Sin) Series: The ape-men directing their gaze towards the sky symbolise the dawning of ancient civilisation. At present, our highly advanced society brings with it a culture of materialism. However, the natural world that we exist in is continually being destroyed at the expense of progress. The ape-men's eyes are glazed over, their innocent faces hanker after and anticipate the day that our grave errors will be corrected in steps towards a bright future. The title of "Original Sin" stems from the artist's feelings towards contemporary society, he uses this set of pieces to express his unease towards the deviant aspects in this sea of civilisation and calls out to people to focus more on beautiful ideals.
Read the original article in Mandarin here.
Liu Ruowang was born in 1977 in a small village in Jia county, Shanxi Province. A graduate of the Northwest Institute of Textile Science and Technology, he continued his studies in Beijing in 1999. Liu graduated in 2005 from the Central Academy of Fine Arts where he was a teaching assistant and postgraduate student. His graduation series "东方红 (The East is Red) was submitted for the Central Academy of Fine Arts "学院之光 (Light of the Academy)" Excellent Works Exhibition Award and was separately acquired by the owner of the famous Beijing Art Now Gallery, Mr. Huang Liao Yuan, and the principal of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Mr. Fan Di An; gaining the recognition of both the art market and academics.
Thereafter, Liu Ruowang produced a new series of works almost every year - from "东方红 (The East is Red)" to "人民 (The People)", "车马仪仗队 (Honour Guard)," "天兵 (Heaven Soldier)," "狼来了(Wolves Coming)," "高山流水 (Melody)," "原罪 (Original Sin)" and "发现渡渡鸟 (Discovering the Dodo Bird)." His works centre on Chinese tradition and the use of cultural symbols, the contemporary state of mind and the spirit of human culture. In 2015, Liu Ruowang's signature work "狼来了(Wolves Coming)" was selected for the 2015 Venice Biennale at the International Art Museum of San Marino and won the Classical Culture Award of the city of Naples in Italy. In 2014, the Art section of China's National Publicity Film featured Liu Ruowang's series "东方红 (The East is Red)" and "狼来了(Wolves Coming)" not once, but twice.
Introduction to Works
人民 (The People) Series: Using the traditional Chinese painted sculpture method, Liu Ruowang portrays the loyalty of the Chinese nation - which has undergone tragic circumstances. The people's fate has barely changed throughout the ages, there is still a social hierarchy present and the same ceaseless sacrifices that culminate as a result of revolutions, with citizens not knowing the reason for their heroic sacrifices.
狼来了(Wolves Coming) Series: 2008 was the year the financial crisis struck, gravely affecting a whole spectrum of industries and businesses. This set of works used the transformative power of the artistic language to reflect the sentiment of the times. While he first derived the idea in 2007, he finally completed the 110 wolf sculptures as well as that of a single warrior in 2010 - an achievement that served as an artistic landmark, transforming the Beijing 798 Art District.
发现渡渡鸟 (Discovering the Dodo Bird) Series: The Dodo bird is also known as the Mauritius Dodo, with links to the Turtle Dove or Nicobar pigeon (Rodrigues solitaire). It is a type of flightless bird that originates from the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Within 176 years of being discovered by humans, the Dodo was rendered extinct due to hunting and the effects of human activity. In addition to the dinosaur, the Dodo is one of the most famous animals to be driven to extinction and is one of the only birds that has been designated as extinct in Mauritius. The artist borrowed this concept in order to evoke profound reflections of modern civilization and elicit introspection of the plight of living species in relation to the human condition.
原罪 (Original Sin) Series: The ape-men directing their gaze towards the sky symbolise the dawning of ancient civilisation. At present, our highly advanced society brings with it a culture of materialism. However, the natural world that we exist in is continually being destroyed at the expense of progress. The ape-men's eyes are glazed over, their innocent faces hanker after and anticipate the day that our grave errors will be corrected in steps towards a bright future. The title of "Original Sin" stems from the artist's feelings towards contemporary society, he uses this set of pieces to express his unease towards the deviant aspects in this sea of civilisation and calls out to people to focus more on beautiful ideals.
Read the original article in Mandarin here.