/ Liu Yu / 1994.09.06
/ Glass Art
/ Arts and Crafts Department
/ Academy of Arts & Design
/ Tsinghua University
01
02 GLASS ART PAINTING DIARY
25 x 35 x 10 cm
Kiln-cast glass
Shell
GLASS ART
15 x 15 x 10 cm
Kiln-cast glass
Harmony
Food is not only essential for sustaining life, but also serves as a means of expressing and preserving culture. This work consists of four boxes, each containing a traditional Chinese food item: dumplings for Chinese New Year, mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival, zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival, and baozi (steamed buns). These traditional foods not only satisfy hunger but also carry blessings and symbolize reunion and harmony. They represent a hope for a better life. The artwork aims to express the desire for 'family reunion and fulfllment'.
Detail Image of 'Harmony'
Pass Away
In a remote ancient village called Shangcun in Anhui Province, people have an extremely open-minded attitude towards death. In the small houses on both sides of the ancestral hall in every household, layers of stacked coffins are displayed, covered with cloth. The people here start preparing their own cofns when they are in their twenties or thirties, selecting their desired styles and materials. Death seems to be an accepted part of life in this place, not a taboo, but rather a process that everyone will eventually experience.
15 x 15 x 10 cm
Kiln-cast glass
I once curated an exhibition in Shangcun, Anhui, and during that time, I was deeply influenced by the optimistic and open attitude of the villagers towards death. Inspired by this, I created this series of works. By combining cofns, which carry the symbolism of death, with bright and vivid colors, the intention is to break the inherent views and superstitions that people hold towards death and to imbue it with a more natural and open-minded meaning.
Newborns
15 x 15 x 10 cm
Kiln-cast glass
Birth, Age, Illness and D eath are the common experiences of humanity. Diferent attitudes are held to w ard s the end of life, ranging from pain to acceptance. However, when it comes to newborns, there is always a sense of hope and vitality.
This artwork portrays a newborn baby placed within a box shaped like a fower bud, conveying the joy of new beginnings.
Impressions
Impressions are non-objective and irrational. When we form impressions, we are also perceiving and perfecting our own life attitude and artistic concept. The series of 'Impressions' outlined my subjective impressions of Mumbai, Venice, Stockholm and Taiwan through kiln casting techniques to express my concern for 'people'.
25 x 25 x 10 cm
Kiln-cast glass
Detail Image of 'Impressions'
Forms of Material
34 x 6.5 x 34 cm
Kiln-cast glass
"Forms of Material" explores the wide range of shapes and the endless potential of structures within the material world, focusing on glass. This artwork comprises four distinct glass modules, each uniquely shaped and crafted using techniques such as large-scale casting, precision sandblasting, bubble control, and glass powder firing. These methods create unique visual and tactile qualities, enhancing the understanding of glass from transparency to texture.
Reviews
Reviews on Stockholm
15 x 10 cm
Fusing glass, Copper wire
The artworks were created during a three-month exchange in Sweden in 2019. Personal biases and stereotypical labels often guide our understanding of the world. After Sweden implemented its refugee reception policies, a large number of non-Swedish individuals have been living in Sweden for an extended period. Their understanding and perception of Sweden difer from both the original Swedish population and us, the short-term 'visitors'. Therefore, I collected the most typical impressions of Sweden from nearly 30 non-Swedish individuals who have lived in Sweden long-term and invited them to express their impressions through paintings and written descriptions. Through their perspectives, we may gain glimpses of a more comprehensive and holistic Sweden that extends beyond biases and labels.
Great night life.
Dalecarlian horse: the horse symoolizes “free will”, so does “Stockholm” to me!
MANGATA ( a path to the moon, a word that isn’t in English ).
Seagull and bridge.
Swedish become a family in a very young age on the last few years. Before was diferent.
Two path two life.
Drottingholm palace.
Work hence with life.
The archipelago: after a dark and cold winter you can just chill on these BEAUTIFUL islands near Stockholm and forget all about winter.
City hall.
Fika Magazine.
IKEA! IKEA is worldwide famous for its simple design and durable quality.
Gay rights are highly appreciated in Sweden.
Professorn pizza — save a non-cooker student.
Roble, we are in Rinkeby! Nice place.
The great Swedish outdoors.
Globen show place and many nice clubs around it.
Good and kind people.
Swedish people kindness-holding the door even when they’re busy with their work and also saying TACK and SORRY which become habitual for me.
The silence in the subway.
Clean energy. Nobel prize.
One very Swedish thing to do is that people at a bus stop have the unwritten law that you queue up with huge distance to the next person.
Swedish people are usually wear in black, also, they are really tall and slim ft. Free your mind.
Du gamla, Du fria, Du fjällhöga nord.
Equality. Hey hey.
A lake with animal friends. VOLVO.
Only two of the creators have received formal training in painting, resulting in artworks that exhibit a rustic, clumsy yet sincere effect. By utilizing flat glass to re-present their works and adding elements of personal interpretation, the project attempts to engage in non-realtime interactive communication with these creators through artistic expression.
Reviews
Reviews on Rebgong
21 x 29.7 cm
Acrylic Plate
"Reviews on Rebgong" is an interactive art installation exploring and showcasing the multicultural and multi-religious aspects of the Rebgong region. In this work, I invited 50 local residents and travelers from different ethnicities, religious beliefs, and social backgrounds to share their most profound and typical impressions and evaluations of Rebgong through paintings and writings. The installation uses the colors of Tibetan prayer fags, symbolizing the sky, clouds, fre, water, and earth, represented on colorful acrylic panels arranged in a doorshaped wooden frame. This design guides visitors to walk freely through the space, experiencing the diversity and fuidity of cultures. This format aims to provoke refection and dialogue on cultural biases and perceptions, thereby enhancing public respect and appreciation for cultural diversity.
Microcosm
60 x 30 x 1.5 cm
Lampworking glass
In our busy lives, we often overlook the unseen corners, where seemingly quiet rooms are actually bustling with tiny figures. If we don't intentionally observe, we won't notice these small creatures coexisting with us, completing generations of reproduction. By focusing on the life and reproduction of these tiny creatures around us, we come to realize that even the tiniest organisms do not waste their time idly; they live earnestly.
Using the technique of lampworking glass, I selected a specific moment from the lives of small ants around us, magnifed it, and presented it eternally. Through this artwork, I aimed to showcase the "microcosmic world" that was intimately related to us but often easily overlooked.
Everyone is Lonely
35 x 50 x 20 cm
Blowing glass
The Name is Inspired by Junji Ito's Manga 'Everyone Is Lonely'. In an increasingly bustling world, people's inner selves have become more sensitive and fragile. In the quiet of the night, there is often a feeling that despite the vibrant and colorful external world, one's own existence remains black and white, confned to a personal world. "The liveliness belongs to them, not me.
PAINTING DIARY
Idle Moments: Painting Diary Entry I 2014-2018
Idle Moments: Painting Diary Entry II 2018-2019
'Illustrated Chronicles of Life: Finding Meaning in Boredom' I have developed a habit of documenting life through handdrawn illustrations. Even in the mundane moments, there are always interesting highlights to be found. As I fip through the pages of my past drawings, I can observe the evolving style infuenced by my experiences. It's as if I am witnessing my own journey of growth.
Sketches In Europe, 2019
