WANG KEPING 王 S TA R S 克 FOREVER 平 STA R S
WANG KEPING 王 STA R S 克 FOREVER 平 S TA R S
Wang Keping (front row, 4th from left) holding the poster “Demand for Artistic Freedom� during the October first demonstration, 1979.
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“Stars 40 years, Stars are forever Stars. Whether day or night, black sky or white nights, the Stars always shine in the sky. They can be very far but they always emit their own light.” – Wang Keping
「星星40年，星星永遠是星星，不管白天黑夜還是白夜 黑天，星星依然在天空閃爍，也許還是那麼遙遠，可是他 們發出自己的光。」 - 王克平
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Wang Keping working in his studio, 2018
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W A N G K E P I N G THE WOOD MASTER K AT I E D E T I L LY
It has been nearly 20 years since I first met the artist Wang Keping. In 2008, I wrote a biography about his life for his monograph. I have reedited this text on this momentous 40th anniversary of the Stars Exhibition, of which he was a key figure in reshaping the way Chinese contemporary art was expressed after the oppressive era of the Cultural Revolution and the years following Chairman Mao’s death. This essay gives insight on the life of Wang Keping and the moment he went from being a scriptwriter to creating his first sculpture and the 40 years that followed. Reading this text affirms the man he was and confirms the man he is. Forever determined on his artistic path, unswerving to popular opinion, with an unrelenting vision towards the place he belongs in history and with inner knowing of himself as an artist. This biography captures a certain essence of the great artist Wang Keping who is forever the philosopher and has a magical way of looking at life.
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Wang Keping is a man of numerous talents. Reserved on first meeting, he is quiet and suspicious to the core. Like many of his generation, the Cultural Revolution has left its scars. What is also apparent from the moment you meet this simple and modest man is his strength and pride. Imbued with the wisdom of a thousand years of Chinese history, he holds his posture tall and strong. He doesn’t bow down. He doesn’t feel a need to please, either. Full of wit and humour, he loves to tease those who think that material things make you a great person, like the small-minded individuals and communist leaders of little intellect who were given positions of authority. With a glint in his eye and a grin full of mischief, Wang Keping, who trained as an actor and scriptwriter, creates a theatre of life in which we are all, unknowingly, participants. China has been through many changes since Wang Keping’s birth. Born on January 6, 1949, the year when the Communist Party conquered “Beiping” (now called Beijing), he was named “Keping” which means: to conquer Beijing. His father was a senior cadre in the Party and a renowned writer, and his mother was a famous actress who had joined the Communist Party’s opera troupe in 1938, performing during the SinoJapanese War. She continued a lifelong career performing on the stage and acted in many leading roles as well as blockbusters such as the 1994 film “To Live” directed by Zhang Yimou where she played Gong Li’s Mother-in-law. The movie won the 1994 Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Together they had five children; an elder brother to Wang and three younger sisters. As a child, Wang Keping’s mischievous and somewhat rebellious nature was already apparent. In school, he never followed the rules, argued with his teachers and consequently was refused the honour of wearing the red neck scarf. In secondary school, he snubbed the Communist Youth League. Yet he remained a bright and
Wang Keping and his parents at a park in Central Beijing.
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Wang Keping at 17 years old.
accomplished student. Wang fell in love with women at a young age. He fondly recollects: “Our class was naughty and the teachers always said that I was the worst among all. However, I, along with the entire class, would go silent when the young pretty teacher entered the room.” As a boy, Wang Keping was good with his hands and curious by nature. He played with all sorts of different objects, taking them apart and putting them back together. He recalls that when his father brought home a very expensive and, at the time, rare self-generating flashlight, he dismantled it to see how it worked, analyzing every part and very nearly failing to rebuild it. Such was his skill that his parents thought that he might become an engineer or possibly an inventor. But everyone noticed that he was, like his mother, clever and quick-witted. He was a natural actor and it was believed that he might follow his mother’s path. Wang Keping’s father was a senior communist cadre member but, as a writer, he was accused of being an intellectual. In 1949 he wrote China’s first novel about the Sino-Japanese War. The book, named Fu Di (腹地), was about two communist officials, one good, one bad. The book was an instant success and a second printing was ordered immediately. However, in the People’s Republic, everything written about the Communist Party had to proclaim its greatness, and a novel criticizing officials was unacceptable. Within the year, the book was condemned by the communist leadership and was banned. Wang well remembers what it felt like when his family was black-listed. His father was a communist and a liberal, and although the stigma remained upon the family, his status still afforded them many privileges such as good schooling and better than average living conditions. In 1969, Wang Keping was separated from his family when he was sent, along with his classmates, to Heilongjiang in Northern China. Living conditions were horrendous and they subsisted in dormitories that resembled concentration camps. Several hundred students worked in farms. The days were long and the toil laborious. Political instructors taught them communist slogans such as: “We are tough, We are not afraid to die,” “Serve the People,” and “Long Live Chairman Mao.” At night, denunciation meetings took place and people were expected to self-criticize or denounce their friends for wrongful acts against the communist ideals. One’s failure to denounce friends, neighbours or colleagues merely aroused suspicion that a secret or adverse political belief was being harboured or protected. Little trust existed among friends and a fear-layered silence permeated the dormitory beds, along with the lice! In 1970, Wang Keping was permitted to leave the farms and to move to Kunming. Thanks to his Mother’s connections with an old acting companion, she was able to secure a post for him in part of the Red Army Theatre Troupe in Yunnan Province.
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Although he had no choice but to play communist propaganda dramas, his life was much easier than it had been on the farms. He was allowed his own single bed which, given his former circumstances, he was more than satisfied with. The female actresses in the theatre group were young and good-looking, an area of life that Wang was yet to experience. There was, however, a constant fear of betrayal and they mostly discussed Chairman Mao’s sayings and speeches. He could not keep company with the girls because socializing with the opposite sex was considered sinful, criminal, a rotten bourgeois concept and he would have been severely punished had he done so. A blanket of sexual oppression smothered the entire country. The political instructor of the Theatre Troupe was a typically uncivilized Army Cadre for whom Wang had no respect, and on whom he enjoyed playing pranks. During the propaganda lessons, Wang would stand up and recite Marx and Lenin sayings to mock the instructor; highlighting the irony that many active communists had no idea of the roots of their own ideology. During the performances, he would indulge in all sorts of tomfoolery; make faces, tickle the actors, or cry out loud on the stage, disturbing the flow and rhythm of plays. He once drove nails through the doors, wounding the instructor who used to bang on the doors every morning to wake them. These risk-filled pleasures caused him a great deal of trouble. But they turned towards his advantage for when he asked his instructor for permission to leave the troupe, he gladly signed his release papers to be rid of him! In 1975 a friend of Wang’s father, a high-ranking official, secured a position for him in a factory in the city of Lang Fang near Beijing. He was given a plumbing apprenticeship and was happy to learn how to operate different kinds of tools and relished the opportunity to work with his hands. He got along well with the workers and enjoyed the way in which they spoke openly about everything, even on a political level. He was smart and quick at his job and was allowed plenty of free time because he could finish in only three days what others would take a week to complete. He read a great deal during this time and remembers with special fondness Maxim Gorky’s My University Days. Newly inspired, he decided to be a writer. In 1976, his Mother again jumped to his aid, this time finding him a post with China Central Television in Beijing. Although Wang Keping was tired of being an actor, he was happy to finally return to Beijing and obtain the highly sought after residency permit. When a few months later Chairman Mao died in late 1976, and the Gang of Four were arrested and disgraced, the younger generation’s political passions were stimulated. Wang Keping was among them. The Democracy Wall, established in December 1978, became a political centre for the Beijing people. A long brick wall on Chang’an street in the Xidan District of Beijing, the Democracy Wall became the focus for democratic dissent and was the only place in which the public was allowed to gather, to put
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up posters expressing their political frustrations and to distribute mimeographed underground publications. This period, which was called the Beijing Spring, (北京之春), refers to a brief period of political liberalization in China. During the Beijing Spring, the general public became more courageous in criticizing the government, criticism that was directed towards the Cultural Revolution and the new government’s officials. It was a far cry from the years of torment and suffering of Wang’s youth. Returning to the theatre, Wang Keping again became an actor. However he did not want to continue his life performing in banal acts in theatre and television programs censured by the state. Provoking change he wrote a script that harshly criticized the Gang of Four and gave it to the directors of the theatre group. Realizing that Wang was a very talented writer, they immediately had him Wang Keping at Tian’anmen Square, Beijing. 1986. elevated to scriptwriter at China Central Television. Wang was very pleased with a promotion that allowed him not to work every day like the other actors and that entitled him to a lot more free time. However, he soon became aware of the absurd system of censorship within the company. Whatever he wrote of any interest to himself failed to win approval. “Communist cultural critics were always those who understood the least about art,” says Wang. In their hands, he was required to make endless amendments. He found this treacherous and exhausting and consequently gave up script-writing altogether. He would merely turn up at work once a month in order to receive his paycheck. During his time at the China Central Television, Wang Keping had met Bai Jingzhou who was the chief set designer and backdrop painter at the Theatre. Wang was fascinated by Jingzhou’s enthusiasm for art and its general openness and expressiveness. By bringing a revitalizing breath to his world, this was a turning point in his life. After Mao’s death, the Communist Party slightly loosened their grip on the masses. Foreigners, as well as people from Hong Kong and Taiwan, came to mainland China, bringing with them cassette players and Western music. They would gather in open squares to dance and listen to the new music. Before long, notices were erected
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forbidding dancing in public places. The police received continual complaints and broke up the gatherings. The youngsters secretly began to throw parties at home and the cassette player became a much-loved and precious luxury. When Wang saw that Bai Jingzhou was trading paintings for cassettes of music, he was very envious. Sure that no foreigner would trade one of his scripts for a cassette player, he decided to become a painter instead. Influenced by Bai Jingzhou, he tried to dabble in painting but found it too difficult and not his ideal vocation. One day he picked up an odd piece of wood from the ground, the rung of a chair. Its smoothness and gloss revealed how often the wood had been caressed over the years. As it was a very hard piece, he carved it with a little knife that he had made himself. A face took shape that was strongly contorted; a mouth wide open as if screaming and revealing the smallest detail of a tongue. The expression was intense, the eyes sad. Above the head, an arm reached to the sky, clutching Mao’s Little Red Book. This was Wang’s first sculpture and it reverberated with all that was within him at the time. It mocked an entire nation for chanting daily while holding Mao’s texts and screamed society’s frustration. The expression was just as grotesque and deformed as the minds of those who chanted.
Long live Chairman Mao / 萬萬歲, 1978, rose wood, H 50 cm, Collection of Museum of Asian Art of Fukuoka.
On seeing Wang’s first sculpture, Bai Jingzhou realized his considerable talent. Encouraged, Wang became passionate about sculpting and soon a wide variety of political and dramatic wood sculptures took up space in his little home. Once Wang Keping made contact with Bai Jingzhou’s friend, Zhang Zhi, who taught foreign students calligraphy and painting at the university, he asked if he would help exchange one of his sculptures for a cassette player. Zhang Zhi was stunned when he visited Wang’s home. “Who gave you these? You can’t fool me. These are national treasures. They could not have been made by a complete unknown. Bartering this in exchange for a cassette player would be a great loss.” During that period, fellow artists Huang Rui, Ma Desheng, Zhong Acheng, Qu Leilei and Li Yongcun (alias Bo Yun) organized an anti-government art exhibition. They came to Wang Keping’s home and were fascinated by a house brimfull with sculptures. Having seen the house’s artistic contents, Huang Rui confidently asserted: “Now our exhibition will surely cause a stir.”
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Together the 23 artists created the “Stars” Exhibition in September 1979, an illegal exhibition of non-conformist and mostly self-taught artists. The exhibition hung on the gates of the National Art Museum of China before it was closed down by the police. After struggling with the authorities, they managed to have it reopened in Beihai Park two months later. And as Huang Rui had predicted, they created an explosion that threw the doors to political and artistic freedom in China wide open. The groundbreaking Stars Exhibition featuring a photo of Wang’s sculpture, Silence, even made it to the front page of the New York Times. Journalist Fox Butterfield, the newspapers’s Beijing correspondent, commented: “... Mr. Wang’s brazenly political, often grotesque sculptures stole the show.” The following year they wanted to exhibit in the National Art Museum of China again. This time they were supported by Jiang Feng, the President of the National Association of Artists and Director of the Central Academy of Fine Art.. After many trials and tribulations, Jiang Feng secured them the 2nd Stars Exhibition in the National Art Museum of China on August 20th 1980. In the 18 days of the exhibition it was so popular that more than 80,000 visitors came to the show, more than to any other art exhibition ever in China. After the exhibition, the artists found that they weren’t as restricted as before. Despite this, many wanted to leave China realizing that they weren’t as free to express themselves as they wanted to be. Wang Keping married Catherine Dezaly, a French
Wang Keping’s sculpture, Silence, hanging outside the National Art Museum of China during the First Stars Art Exhibition, 1979.
Wang Keping (2nd from the left) along with spectators in front of his sculptures during the First Stars Art Exhibition, 1979.
The front page of New York Times, 19th Oct, 1979.
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teacher at the Beijing University and immigrated to France in 1984. He was followed in turn by many of the other Stars; Ai Wei Wei, Zhong Acheng and Yan Li all went to the U.S., Ma Desheng went to Switzerland and later to France, Huang Rui to Japan and Qu Leilei moved to London. When Wang Keping arrived in France, everything was new to him and he had to adapt to the unrecognizably liberal climate. As it was not easy to work, he spent time going to the museums to learn about Western art as well as old and modern sculpture. Thoroughly briefed, he gained sufficient confidence to continue on his path as a sculptor feeling quite correctly that there was no sculpture like his. Even during the early years of his career he was sure that he had a unique voice and vision and he was passionate about following it through. After spending over 20 years in France, Wang Keping works in several studios. Unlike other Chinese artists, he has no assistants, not even when large trunks of wood need to be moved from one work area to another. He rises early and throughout the day steadily sculpts pieces ranging in size from 30 cm to 3.5 meters. Inspired by simplicity of form, he remains faithful to a style that is slowly evolving, while adamantly ignoring conceptual trends and curators’ whims. Wang Keping is so intimate with wood that the material is inseparable from his being. Such is his understanding of each block before him that he lets the wood guide him as he passes his hand over it. Emerging out of the knots and branches a breast, a curl of the hair, an arm. He even uses the traces of the worm-tracks found just under the bark to ornament the skirt of a woman in vermicular lace. The flow of the grain is well thought out in his work. They drip like waves to simulate hair on the back of the head or perfectly accent the curve of a woman’s waist. He has said that to take the bark off a piece of wood is like undressing a woman. Through this process his passions are aroused. After 30 years of searching he feels that people finally know his work. He does not need others to tell him that he is a genius, convinced that this is the case. And now, having pursued this unique path for so long, he says: “I understand both my work and myself better and people also understand my work better.” When asked whether, as more people appreciate his works, he might consider getting an assistant, he replied: “Making a sculpture is like making love to a woman. No one can do it for you nor would I want others to take my place.” The female form being ever-present in the work of Wang Keping is clearly important to him. With rigour he comments that, “Women are an eternal theme because of their
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beauty and their kindness. When I was 18, sex was forbidden. We all wanted to know about women but it was forbidden. The communists told us to work for the masses, for the party. Sex was immoral, criminal and capitalistic, the source of sin. But it was as if you were hungry and thirsty and were told that you couldn’t drink water, and that honey was poison. Eventually you found out that the leaders were themselves drinking greedily. On the day you were finally allowed to drink water and taste honey, how would you feel? For 30 years, many in China were like me. They never saw a woman’s body but always thought about it. We would imagine but never saw them, not even in movies. We were told that to think about them was shameful and corrupt. My entire generation was thirsty for sex. When I became part of the Stars Group of artists, Xing Xing, I wanted to Tattooed Woman, 1979. sculpt women because women are beautiful and the Communist Party told us it was immoral to do so. I wanted to say that the figure of a naked woman is neither criminal, nor immoral: it is art. What I did, I did as a rebellion, a challenge to their ignorance.” Asked why he makes his men like animals, he replied: “Compared to women, men are closer to animals. I like the simplicity of animals, of birds. When I see a bird on a branch,” he waves his arm in the air. “I am looking for purity, for simplicity which is a form of abstract expression. Branches always inspire me. The trunk, the knots, the holes, the form of trees are very sensual.” The wood and Wang Keping are old friends, he says, when starting a sculpture, “I find the piece of wood, take off its bark, turn, turn, look, look and after,” his eyes light up, he is filled with enthusiasm, his hands begin to speak, “the wood tells me something, gives me an idea. Wood is like a human body. There are tender parts, hard parts, solid parts and fragile parts. You cannot go against its nature but must follow it.” Wang Keping reiterates his views about his success coming to fruition on his own terms. When asked, he replies. “What is success? I think that very few people understand my work. Very few people can distinguish a great from an average artist. I want to live discreetly. In ancient China, scholars, poets, monks lived like hermits. This is how I see myself. I like to be like a hermit. I am a dissident in China and, funnily enough, in France too. I don’t like the current trends in art, conceptual art and installation. They are official art. In fact, I am proud of being a dissident artist in France.” The huge amount of fame that many artists in China now have is not important to him. “To be known or unknown to me is now the same to me. To be known means that a lot of idiots know your name. To be unknown means that a lot of idiots don’t
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know your name. Known and unknown are like two hats. The hat itself is not what is critical. It’s the head inside the hat. What is vital is to make good work, strong work and personal work. When you have a lot of money in your pocket, whether people say you are rich or poor doesn’t matter. What’s important, is that you have something in your pocket. Whether you have a piece in the museum or do not have one is not important. What is important is that you create something that will remain throughout history. And with time, it stays. All the superficial things float to the top, but all the things that have weight sink to the bottom and when the water is poured away it is the things at bottom that remain.” Sitting in Wang Keping’s studio, I am surrounded by his numerous sculptures and I gaze at their beauty and originality, their sensuality and their savagery. I cannot stop myself from touching them, feeling that they are communicating with me in their own language. I believe that these woods, with life bursting from within, will one day walk into art history with Wang Keping. I am pleased that I am in the room of this unique artist and am having an intimate chat with him. He still has a lot of stories to tell, more in number than the dozens of works scattered around us. His road is long. He is a man with ambition and vision. I am grateful for how lucky I am to know him so well through his journey, and be there to pay him tribute is a rare privilege. Looking at him, contemplating the brilliance of this mild yet discerning man, I wonder what his ultimate goal is. He looks at me, smiles and says, “My ideal is simplicity, which I realize with nature as my accomplice.”
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Silence / 沉默, 1978, Birch, H 43 cm Exhibited at the First Stars Art Exhibition, September 27- 29, 1979, on the gates of the National Art Museum of China, Beijing
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Couple 2008 Maple 60 x 55 x 29 cm
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Femme assise 2002 Oak 26 x 44 x 20 cm
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Standing Woman 2012 Cedar 78 x 37 x 45 cm
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Timide 2003 Elm 42 x 19 x 13 cm
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Standing Woman 2012 Maple 40 x 26 x 23 cm
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La Femme qui regarde derrière 2017 Cedar 58 x 43 x 29 cm
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Woman 2016 Maple 55 x 35 x 14 cm
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Couple 2016 Yew 40 x 45 x 22 cm
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MaternitĂŠ 2009 Cherry 57 x 41 x 14 cm 34
Elle-Ailes 2011 Birch 47.5 x 37 x 22 cm
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Prière 2000 Albizia 43 x 64 x 24 cm
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Printemps 2010 Plane 85 x 42 x 45 cm 40
Couple 2008 Maple 60 x 55 x 29 cm Page 17
Femme assise 2002 Oak 26 x 44 x 20 cm Page 19
Standing Woman 2012 Cedar 78 x 37 x 45 cm Page 20
Woman 2016 Maple 55 x 35 x 14 cm Page 29
Couple 2016 Yew 40 x 45 x 22 cm Page 30
MaternitĂŠ 2009 Cherry 57 x 41 x 14 cm Page 33
Timide 2003 Elm 42 x 19 x 13 cm Page 22
Standing Woman 2012 Yew 40 x 26 x 23 cm Page 25
Elle-Ailes 2011 Birch 47.5 x 37 x 22 cm Page 34
Priére 2000 Albizia 43 x 64 x 24 cm Page 36
La Femme qui regarde derrière 2017 Cedar 58 x 43 x 29 cm Page 27
Printemps 2010 Plane 85 x 42 x 45 cm Page 39
Wang Keping and the Birds series in the exhibition of Harmony of the Forest, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong, 2017
猶記得距離我初次與王克平會面已有二十年之久。2008年，我為 他寫了一篇人物傳記，被收錄在一本關於他的圖文選集上。王克平 是「星星畫會」的主要成員，在壓抑的文化大革命時代終結，毛澤 東去世之後的幾年裡，他是重塑中國當代藝術表現形式的重要人物 之一。藉《星星美展》四十週年的重要時刻，我重新發表這篇傳 記。此文解說王克平的人生故事，講述他如何從編劇生涯走向雕塑 創作，並且此後的四十年來從未放棄。深讀這篇文章即可了解他的 過去與現在，對這位藝術家有全方位的理解。他在藝術道路上永遠 抱持堅定不移的信念，絕不從眾媚俗。他對自己在歷史上的地位有 著與眾不同的願景，在內心深處堅信自己的藝術獨樹一幟－蘊含著 屬於王克平的真理和意志。透過這篇傳記可以看到這位偉大藝術家 珍貴的一面－一位妙趣橫生的永恆的哲學家。
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王克平 木雕王 戴天利
王克平是一個有才能的人。沉默而猜疑。他與人首次接觸總是很有保留。就像很多那一代的 人，文化大革命在他們身上留下了痕跡。他表面樸實而友善，骨子裡卻攙著堅忍與驕傲。他繼 承著中國千年曆史的智慧，保持著孤高自賞的氣概。他不卑不亢，從不刻意討好或阿腴奉承。 他機智而詼諧，喜歡嘲諷那些專橫愚昩的共產黨領袖，或是挖苦那些目光短淺而貪婪的小人。 他眼裡閃出光芒，言談間流露著無盡的幽默感。他曾經是演員也是編劇，而他也創造了自己人 生的一台好戲，不知不覺地我們都參與其中。 王克平生於1949年1月6日。當時中國正經歷著翻天覆地的變化，共產黨的軍隊正攻打北平（現 在的北京)，他的名字由“攻克北平”而來。他的父親是一位老資格的共產黨員，知名的作家。母 親則是著名演員，自1938年她便參加共產黨率領的劇團，在抗日戰爭的前線巡迴演出，1949 年以後還繼續舞台生涯，並在多部話劇、電影擔任女主角。在1994年由張藝謀導演的電影《活 著》裡面，她扮演影星鞏俐的岳母。 （《活著》於1994年嘎那Cannes電影節獲獎。） 王克平的家里共有五個孩子，他有一個哥哥和三個妹妹。小時候的王克平就已開始流露出他那 調皮甚至有點反叛的性格。在小學裡，他不能循規蹈矩，常與老師做對，因此沒能戴上光榮的 紅領巾，中學時更不肯加入共產主義青年團。但是他仍是一名功課好的學生。他自幼便對女性 充滿愛慕之心。他笑著回憶道：“我們班是最亂的一個班，老師又總說王克平是班裡的害群之 馬，但每當一位特別漂亮的女老師走進教室時，這節課就特別安靜。” 小時候王克平對身邊的一切充滿好奇，也喜歡動手動腳，經常修理這個，修理那個。他記得有 一天他父親帶回家一隻當時很稀有的進口手動發電照明筒，王克平偷偷把它拆開，差一點再也 裝不上了。他父母認為他會成為一個工程師或是發明家。但他常常裝模做樣模仿他人，喜歡做 一些滑稽的表演，所以大家也說他會像母親一樣成為一個演員。 45
王克平的父親是共產黨的老幹部，但因為是作家，而被劃為知識份子，這也是各種政治運動整 治的目標。 1949年時，他發表了中國第一部有關抗日戰爭的長篇小說《腹地》，書中兩位主要 人物，兩位共產黨的干部，一個寫成了反面人物。書一出版雖然受到歡迎，並馬上再版，但是 在紅色中國，任何文章甚至小說，都只可以歌頌共產黨的偉大，怎麼能容忍對黨的官員有批評 或諷刺的文字存在？因而，不到一年，書便遭到嚴厲批評判，迅即被勒令停售。父親著作的遭 遇的陰影一直籠罩著全家，王克平時常回憶起當時家中人的感受，然而，他父親既有共產主義 也有自由主義。儘管作品受到批判，但他父親的地位仍讓他們享有若干的特權，可維持較好的 生活和教育。 1969年，當王克平與他的同學被送往中國最北部的黑龍江農場時，他首次經歷了與家人分離。 他們住在集中營式的工棚裡，生活環境極其惡劣。幾百名學生一起從早到晚，在農田里幹活， 受盡政治指導員的整治，大小頭目不斷地唸著毛主席的語錄：“為人民服務”，“一不怕苦，二不 怕死”， “毛主席萬歲”......晚上，還有各種批判會，每個人都要進行自我批評或揭發批判別人。 如果不肯批判你的同學或同事，就會被看成是陰謀抗拒思想改造。不難想像，階級鬥爭也在青 年學生之間展開，猜疑與恐懼籠罩著所有的人。即使燈關入睡以後，仍不得安寧，大大小小的 蝨子從頭到腳爬來爬去。 1970年，王克平找到一個逃離農場的機會，他請母親通過她的老戰友把王克平調到雲南省昆明 軍區話劇團。雖然演出的都是共產黨的宣傳節目，但生活總比在勞改農場裡好得多，因為自己 有了一張單人床，而高興極了。而且，劇團的姑娘年青而美麗，似乎開始了美好人生的新的一 章。但生活依然是在政治高壓裡, 言談總是離不開毛主席語錄。男女之間更絕對不可以有任何情 感，因為那是資產階級的腐朽意識，為此將會被嚴厲處罰。無一例外，當時所有中國的年輕人 都是在沉重的性壓抑之下度日。 劇團的政治教導員是專門安插的典型的沒文化的軍隊政工幹部，王克平忍了一陣便設法捉弄起 他來。他常常背誦一些馬克思、列寧的語句，嘲笑教導員的無知；有時他在舞台上悄悄做些小 動作，小聲哼哼，擠眉弄眼做鬼臉，把同台的演員們逗笑，導致舞台上嚴肅悲慘的劇情亂得不 可收拾；還甚至把小釘子釘在門上，早上教導員砸門時把手扎破⋯⋯這些惡作劇給大家增添很 多歡樂，雖然帶來不少麻煩, 但同時也救了他：當王克平要求脫離軍隊時, 領導破例馬上批准。 1975年退伍之後，得到他父親的一位朋友的幫助，王克平被安排到鄰近北京的廊坊的一個工 廠。他開始做一名管子工，他很高興可以學習使用各式各樣的工具。他與工友們相處融洽，他 很喜歡工人們大膽地議論所有事情，甚至是敏感的政治話題。手工技術他學得很快，幹活也非 常利落，別人一星期的工作，他三天便能做完，因此他擠出一些時間大量閱讀，他又看了一遍 高爾基的小說《我的大學》 ，並決心把社會底層當作自己的大學，並開始想當一名作家。 王克平尤其喜歡聽工友們津津樂道的色情笑話，就是通過這些交談，他開始對兩性關係有了一 點了解，並恍然大悟原來不單是男人，女人也同樣喜歡性愛。王克平這一代的中國人對性有很 深的恐惑。當時任何滿足個人慾望的事情，包括兩性關係，都是違反共產黨的道德。所以同工 人們一起的生活，使王克平呼吸到民間的自由氣息。
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1976年，母親再一次的奔走，為王克平在北京中央電視台的電視劇團找到職位。雖然他早已厭 煩了演員的生活，但這一次他終於回到北京，並取得當時很難才能轉成的北京戶口。幾個月之 後，即1976年秋，毛澤東去世，緊接著“四人幫”倒台，一下子燃起眾多年青人的政治熱情，王 克平也是其中一員。北京的“西單民主牆” 自1978年便成為北京的政治中心。民主牆是一排長 長的磚牆，聳立在天安門廣場西邊的西單長安街上，民主派或異見人仕在這裡張貼大字報，或 散髮油印的地下刊物。這段短暫的政治鬆動活躍時期，就是著名的“北京之春”。這時，民眾有 了比以前更多的一些勇氣，敢於公開批評政府，矛頭直指文化大革命和新的共產黨領導人。此 時，與以往恐懼與壓制的文革時代已大大不同了。 回到劇團，王克平又重新粉墨登場，主演了電視劇《金頂》之後，其他電影厂也找上門來，但 他實在不想繼續在被政府嚴格審查的舞台及電視上做一些無聊的演出。他寫了一個批判“四人 幫”的劇本，直接交給劇團的領導人。他們十分欣賞王克平的才華，立即把他升調到編導組任編 劇。王克平十分得意，這樣他就不必象演員一樣每天上班，可以有更多的自由時間。但是，王 克平很快就發現文藝審查制度的荒誕，真正傑出的劇本往往得不到批准。他說：“共產黨文化官 員偏偏是最不懂藝術的人。”他們總是要王克平不斷地修改他的劇本。當時還沒有復印機，每改 一稿都要重抄幾百頁。而且這些把關的人每次都講同樣的話：“再改一遍，千錘百煉。”王克平 後來發現這些幹部根本就沒有再看他的劇本，他們只是裝腔作勢地發號施令。他不再一遍一遍 地修改抄寫，每次只是換一個封面，白的換成紅的，紅的再換成綠的，綠的再換成藍的，每次 再交上去之後，負責人再次召見，再說：“有進步嘛，比上一稿好多了。再把領導與群眾的意見 消化消化，再改一遍，千錘百煉。”王克平的猜疑是太對了。折騰來折騰去，王克平終於明白： 搞戲劇創作對他來說是死路一條。此後，他只是每月報到一下，領取工資走人。 這段在中央電視台工作的時間，王克平認識了劇團裡的美工—畫家白敬週。白敬週總是海闊天 空地談論藝術，給王克平打開了一個美好自由的新天地。這也是他人生的一個重要的轉折。 毛澤東死後，共產黨對社會的控制稍有放鬆，外國人及香港和台灣人開始進入中國大陸，同時 也帶進一些錄音機與西方奢侈品，年輕人也開始聚會跳舞。好景不長，當局馬上貼出大佈告禁 止跳舞，警察也四處驅散抓捕在公園跳舞的壞分子。年輕人不得不秘密地搞家庭舞會，所以錄 音機就成了最寶貴的東西。王克平看見白敬週以他的油畫換了一台錄音機和一些音樂磁帶，又 羨慕又嫉妒，他說，我總不能用劇本去跟老外換錄音機吧 ？他馬上要當一個畫家。 王克平用白敬週剩下的顏料也畫了一畫，但試了兩次就再也不想當畫家了。有一天，他在路上 揀了一隻舊椅子的木腿，磨潤的表面顯示了歲月的長久，那是一塊深色的硬木條，他於是開始 用一把自製的小刀雕刻起來。他試著刻出一個人臉，張開大嘴，表情苦痛，眼神流露著無奈， 然後頭上伸出一隻手臂，手中握著毛主席的小紅書。這就是王克平的第一件作品，題為“萬萬 歲”，完完全全地表達了他當時的激情，他嘲諷民眾麻木地擁護共產黨的專制，吶喊出整個民族 的悲憤。那怪異與扭曲的面容正反映出他們的心態。 當白敬週看到王克平的第一件雕刻時，他馬上預見到王克平非凡的才能。王克平受到鼓舞，幹 勁沖天，一批政治性、戲劇性的木雕很快堆滿了他的小屋。王克平找來在大學教外國留學生書
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法與繪畫的朋友張治中，請他幫助換一台錄音機。張治中一進門就驚呆了：“這是誰給你的？這 你可騙不了我，這可不是一般人能做得出來的呀，這些是國寶呀，這換錄音機那可太虧了。” 那時候，黃銳、馬德昇、阿城、曲磊磊、李永存正在籌備一個對抗官方藝術的展覽，他們來 到王克平的家裡，看著滿屋子的木雕，非常興奮，黃銳信心十足地說： “咱們這個展覽肯定轟 動。” 二十三位非官方藝術家於1979年9月底聯手舉辦了“星星美展”，當時這種自由的畫展是非法的。 這次展覽選擇了在北京中國美術館外的圍欄上懸掛作品,但很快便被警察取締。經過危險的抗 爭，兩個月之後得到批准在北海公園重開展覽。正如黃銳所預言的一樣，這次展覽空前成功， 給中國的政治與文化帶來極大的衝擊，譜寫了中國現代藝術的第一章。世界各地的報刊紛紛報 導介紹星星的藝術家們，王克平的《沉默》甚至登上了《紐約時報》的第一版。其駐北京首席 記者包德甫（Fox Butterfield）有這樣一道評語：“王先生那些政治大膽而風格怪異的木雕成為 了展場的焦點。” 第二年，星星的藝術家又向國立美術館進軍。由於得到中國美術家協會主席及中央美術學院 院長江豐的支持，經過多番交涉，他們爭取到在中國美術館舉行了第二屆“星星美展”。展期由 1980年8月20日至9月7日，十六天裡參觀人數達十萬多人，遠比國內任何一個展覽都更受歡 迎。 展覽結束後，當局加緊了對藝術家們的監控，他們都想離開中國。王克平與一位北京大學的法 國教師Catherine Dezaly結婚後在1984年移居法國。其他的星星主要成員也都相繼出國：艾未 未、阿城、嚴力到了美國，馬德昇先到瑞士後定居法國，黃銳到了日本，曲磊磊到了倫敦 ⋯⋯ 王克平初抵法國時，對任何事物都有新鮮的感受，首先要適應在自由的國度裡生活。找工作並 不容易，王克平於是利用這些時間看遍了所有的美術館，開始研究西方藝術以及古代、現代的 雕刻。看得越多，他越有信心繼續他的創作，因為他感覺到他的雕刻仍是獨樹一幟。其實從他 早期的作品開始，就不難發現它們所流露出來的獨特的語彙及觀念，並且至今一直延續在他的 創作之中。 二十多年過去了，王克平早已在法國落地生根，有好幾個工作室。跟其他在中國的藝術家不 同，他沒有僱傭助手，他喜歡一個人閉門造車，那怕是搬運大塊的木料，他都是可以獨自而 為。他的木雕有小有大，大的直至三米多高。他日出而作，日落而息，每天都在頑強地雕鑿。 他傾心於木頭的自然形態，沉醉於自己的簡樸風格，遠離當代流行藝術的潮流與藝術評論家的 喧囂。 王克平與木頭的關係太密切了。他對於樹木的枝幹有那麼深切的了解，他看著它們，摸著它 們，任由它們的線條紋理去引領他的雙手，他把那隱藏在樹皮里面的肉體展現出來，刻畫出圓 潤的雙乳，粗略的身段，簡約的頭髮。連蛀蟲走過的痕跡都化成衣裙上的花紋。他利用樹木的 原型，隨著自然的線路走去，掀起盤環的發結，劈開伸展的雙臂，打磨婉轉的腰肢。他曾說
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過，剝掉樹皮好似為女人脫衣，每一步都讓他興奮不已。 經過三十年的探索，他感到已經走到隧道的洞口。他不需要人們讚賞他是天才，他有著過分的 自信。如今，他胸有成竹，對自己的創作方向更加堅信不移：“現在隨著我對自己的了解更深 入，人們也開始了解我的創作。” 現在喜歡他的作品的人越來越多，他從早忙到晚。我說你還是找幾個助手幫著幹吧。他笑口一 開：“做雕刻就像是跟女人做愛，怎麼可以假手於人？” 我問為何他的作品大都環繞女人？他說：“女人是一個永恆的題材。女性是世界上最美麗、最 誘人的。對一個雕刻家而言，你很難不對女性感到興趣。還有，這不僅僅因為我是一個男性， 我們那一代的年青人，都是在性壓抑下長大，性的慾望是被禁止的。共產黨說要全心全意為人 民服務，為黨服務。性是不道德的，腐朽的，資本主義的，是罪惡的根源。就像是口渴時阻止 你喝水，還告訴你蜂蜜是毒藥。可是，你慢慢地發現那些領導卻在不停地大吃大喝。一但你終 於可以喝到水、嚐到蜜的滋味的時候，你會有什麼感覺？有三十年的時間，我跟很多中國人一 樣幾乎從未見過女人的裸身，但我們常常幻想著，甚至在書刊電影上也從未見過。我們那個年 代的人都對性充滿遐想。當我是星星一員時，我表現女人體的美麗，這是一種反抗。女人是自 然，裸體是藝術。這也是向愚昧挑戰。” 當我問他為什麼他創作的陽性都充滿獸性？他說：“相對女人而言，男人更多一點動物性。我喜 歡動物，最喜歡鳥的簡單的線條。我從樹木的枝條上看到鳥的身影。我追求的是簡潔單純，簡 單也是一種抽象。樹幹的形態給我很多啟發。樹叉，節疤，樹洞全都充滿性感。”王克平的雙手 在空中比劃著，一副凝望著樹枝的神態。 我問他如何開始一個木雕？“當我找到一塊木頭，我先剝掉她的樹皮。然後轉來轉去地看，”他 眼中閃出神采與熱情，手舞足蹈地說，“慢慢地我會感到木頭在跟我說話，給我一些暗示。木頭 也像人的身體，同樣一棵樹，有的地方硬，有的地方軟，有的地方是骨頭，有的地方是肉，你 只能順從她的個性，她才能跟你合作。” 我問他對他的成就有什麼看法？他說：“什麼是成功？我認為現在很少有人真正了解我的作品。 有眼力的人總是少數。我只想靜靜地生活。在古代中國，很多學者、詩人、畫家都喜歡隠居的 生活。我想做一個半隠士。在中國我是一個不同政見藝術家，沒想到在法國也是。我不喜歡當 前流行的時髦藝術，大多也是一種官方藝術。我很自豪我在法國也是不同政見藝術家。” 當今你回到中國你有什麼感覺？“中國變化很大。從前，我們吃的月餅只有很簡單的包裝，便 宜而美味。現在商店裡賣的全是包裝精美的名貴月餅，但口感不佳。北京有了一片新的高樓大 廈，但後面還是腐朽的專制體制。” 現在很多中國藝術家名噪國際，那麼出名揚名對他是否重要？他說：“有名無名，我現在才體會 到區別其實並不太大。有名—就是有很多無聊的人知道你的名字，無名—就是有很多無聊的人
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不知道你的名字。有名、無名其實只是兩頂帽子而已，重要的是帽子下面的腦袋如何。平常我 是不太喜歡戴帽子的人。最重要的是自己有好的作品，有獨特的個人風格。如果你口袋裡有很 多錢，你就不在乎別人說你窮或富了。關鍵的是你口袋裡有些什麼。你的作品有沒有放進博物 館並不重要，重要的是你是不是創造了傳世的作品。渣子都浮在水面，有分量的東西常常沉在 水底，但是總有一天會水落石出。” 坐在王克平的工作室裡，我被他的充滿人性及獸性的木頭包圍著，被他們的既原始又現代的美 感籠罩。我迷戀地撫摩著他們，他們用自己的語言與我交流。我相信這些有生命力的木頭，總 有一天，會與王克平一起慢慢走進藝術的歷史。我欣喜能在這位卓爾不群的藝術家的工作室， 與他親切交談。他有很多的故事要講，比他身邊將要完成的作品還多，他的路還很長很長。他 是志向高遠的人。我慶幸有機會在他奮力向上攀登的山路邊，遠遠地向他招手致敬。 我望著他，凝視著這位溫文而獨特的藝術家的神采，尋思他最高的理想是什麼？他的回答：簡 單、自然。
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Wang Keping working in his studio, 2017.
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WA N G K E P I N G
王克平
Born in China in 1949, he is one of the founders of the first non-conformist artist’s group “THE STARS” (XING XING, 星星) which was formed in 1979 during the post-cultural revolution “Beijing Spring”. He has been living in Paris since 1984.
HISTORICAL EXHIBITIONS 1979
First Stars Art Exhibition, an unauthorized exhibition hung on the gates of the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. (outlawed after two days).
1980
Second Stars Art Exhibition, National Art Museum of China, Beijing
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2019
Stars Forever Stars, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong-Kong
2018
Simplicité, Nature, Sensualité, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Bruxelles Sculptures sculptées, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris
2017
Harmony of the Forest, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong-Kong
2016
Galerie Zürcher, Paris
2015
Wang Keping, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong-Kong
2013 2010
Wang Keping, Ullens Centre for Contemporary Arts (UCCA), Beijing Ben Brown Fine Arts, London La Chair des forêts, Musée Zadkine, Paris
2011
Eternal Smile, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong
2009
Wang Keping, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong
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2008
Wang Keping, Works from 1979-2006, He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen Wang Keping, Collection Jacques Barrère, Bois d’Immortalité de la Chine Antique, Musée des Arts Asiatiques, Nice
2006
5th Anniversary Show, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong-Kong
2005
Marlborough Gallery, New York
2004
Simplicity, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong Body and Nature, Two Chinese Artists, Marlborough Gallery, New York
2002
Wang Keping, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong Works by Wang Keping, The HKUST Center for the Arts, Hong-Kong
1997 1993 1989
Aidekman Art Center, Boston Musée d’Art Moderne, Taizhong
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2018
Sea of Desire, Opening of Fondation Carmignac, Porquerolles BIS, Biennale Internationale de Sculpture de St Paul de Vence Turning Point - 40 years of Chinese Contemporary Art, Long Museum, Shanghai 墨境 Ink Worlds: Contemporary Chinese Painting from the Collection of Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang, Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University 别處/此在:海外華人藝術抽樣展 HERE/ELSEWHERE: The Sample of Overseas Chinese Art, 何香凝美術館, Hexiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen
2017
Opening exhibition, Power Long Museum, Shanghai
2016
Figures, Musée national d’Art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris M+ Sigg Collection: Four Decades of Chinese Contemporary Art, M+Museum, Hong-Kong An/other avant-garde – China-Japan-Korea, Busan Biennale 2016 Arts et Nature 2016, Domaine regional de Chaumont sur Loire China Black, Zao Wouki, Wang Keping, Aktis Gallery, London Château de la Celle-Saint Cloud, Ministère des Affaires étrangères
2015
The Civil Power, Minsheng Art Museum, Beijing Musée Cernuschi, dans le cadre d’un partenariat avec Art Paris Art Fair Parc de Sculptures monumentales, Al Maaden, Marrakech
2014 2013 2011
Light before Dawn, Unofficial Chinese Art 1974-1985, Asia Society, Hong-Kong Chinese Contemporary Art 1979-2009, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka Artistes Chinois à Paris, Musée Cernushi, Paris Blooming in the Shadows, Unofficial Chinese Art, 1974-1985, China Institute, New-York 53
2008
China Gold, Art Contemporain Chinois, Musée Maillol, Paris Go China – Writing on the Wall, Chinese Art from the Eighties and Nineties, Groninger Museum, Groningen Origin Point, The Stars 30 years, Today Art Museum, Beijing
2007
China contemporary art, la lunga Marcia dell’Avanguardia, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Villa Croce, Genova China Onward, The Estella Collection, Chinese Contemporary Art 1966-2006, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Copenhague
2006
Create History : Comemoration Exhibition of Chinese Modern Art in 1980s, Contemporary art terminal of He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen Taille humaine, Art Sénat 2006, Orangerie et Jardins du Luxembourg, Paris
2005
Mahjong - Chinesische Gegenwartskunst aus der Sammlung Sigg, Kunstmuseum, Bern
2004
Chine, le corps partout ? Musée d’Art Contemporain, Marseille
2001
Modern Chinese Art, The Khoan and Michael Sullivan Collection, Ashmoleum Museum, Oxford At the New Century, 1979-1999 China Contemporary Art’s Works, Contemporary Art Museum, Chengdu Le Corps Morcelé, Fondation d’Art Contemporain Daniel et Florence Guerlain, Les Mesnuls
2000
1999
Les Champs de la Sculpture, Champs-Elysées, Paris At the new century. 1979-1999 China Contemporary Art Works, Modern art museum of Chengdu, Sichuan Wei Wei Gallery, Beijing The Pu-Yeo International Modern Sculpture Symposium, Korea
1998
Vision 2000, Chinesische Gemälde und Skulpturen der Gegenwart, LindenMuseum, Stuttgart National Museum of Fine Arts, Beijing
1997 1994
Le Toit de la Grande Arche, Paris Museum für Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt Künstlerhaus Mousontourm, Frankfurt
1992
Sculptures - Frédéric Bleuet, Peter Briggs, Wang Keping, Salle Saint-Jean, Hôtel de Ville de Paris
1991
Hommage à Camille Claudel, Villeneuve sur Fère
1990
Les Etoiles 10 ans : Chapelle St Louis de la Salpetrière, Paris
1989
Tian An Men, je me souviens, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
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1988 The Olympic Sculpture Park, Olympic Center, Seoul Blue Hill Cultural Center, New-York La Chine a du Talent, Des artistes contemporains font revivre le Grand Timonier, Carrefour de la Chine, Paris 1987 Ecole des Hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris 1983 Painting the Chinese Dream, Chinese Art 30 Years after the Revolution, Brooklyn Museum, New York SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS Musée national d’Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris Musée Cernuschi, Paris Domaine régional de Chaumont sur Loire M+ Museum, Hong Kong Aidekman Art Center, Boston Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Collection de la Ville de Paris, Paris International Sculpture Park, PuYo He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen Museum of Asian Contemporary Art, Fukuoka Museum of Modern Art, Taizhong, Taiwan The Olympic Sculpture Park, Seoul Château de la Celle-Saint Cloud, Ministère des Affaires étrangères Collection départementale d’Art contemporain de Seine-Saint-Denis AWARD Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France, 2015)
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About 10 Chancery Lane Gallery 10 Chancery Lane Gallery was established by Katie de Tilly in 2001 in Hong Kong. Originally from the U.S., de Tilly was taken by the vast and important developments of art in the Asia-Pacific region when she moved there in 1994. The gallery focuses on art from China, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia. With a strong interest in the origins and art movements of contemporary art from the Asia Pacific, the gallery works with regional curators to offer a diverse program of survey exhibitions with academic analysis and critical writing.
Installation view Wang Keping, Eternal Smile at 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, 2011.
ALL WORKS OF ART COPYRIGHT Š WANG KEPING 10 Chancery Lane Gallery Designed by Rachel Man Tung Ching Photo credit Liu Xiaobin, page 2 and 11 (first two images) Photo credit Aline Wang, page 4, 49, back cover Photo credit Wang Keping, artwork images, page 6, 9, 11 (bottom image) and 13 Photo credit Museum of Asian Art of Fukuoka, page 10 Photo credit William Furniss, page 42
This booklet is published on the occasion of the exhibition STARS FOREVER STARS, Wang Keping at 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong from March 19 to May 11, 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Printed in Hong Kong, 2019
LOLO, Bronze, 2016, H 4 m, Fondation Carmignac, Porquerolles, France
Creating a woman is not easy There may be many beautiful women But simple and original feminity is harder to achieve I used two L shapes and two O shapes To make this sculpture I called it LOLO 做一個女人很不容易 漂亮的女人太多太多 做一個簡單獨特的女人更不容易 我用兩個L型兩個O型做的這件雕刻 起名LOLO