Figures of Speech by Ode To Art

FIGURES of SPEECH

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COVER WIND – 17 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cm

FIGURES of SPEECH

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INTRODUCTION

The human language is thought to be fundamentally different from, and of much higher complexity than any other species in the world. Over centuries, we have established a vast and complex written and verbal communication system comprising thousands of languages as well as billions of symbols, codes and characters. Yet there is an inherent, universal language which we all send and interpret almost entirely involuntarily. According to author James Borg, only 7% of communication consists of words themselves – the rest being non-verbal elements which modify meaning and convey emotion. Fear, fury, agony, love and joy are all subconsciously conveyed through a chorus of postures, gestures, behavior and facial expressions; all interdependent and coming together at once to create a silent orchestra of speech. “Figures of Speech” showcases the works of our various artists at Ode To Art, who dedicate themselves to bringing out the essence and beauty of this ‘natural dialect’. Their creations not only celebrate the human form, but establish a deep and inexplicable connection with the audience through their minds and hearts – the greatest speech of all.

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AAN ARIF

Born in Yogyakarta, 21 April 1973, Indonesia, Arif went to the Senior High School of Fine Arts in Yogyakarta, and went on to continue his education at the Indonesian Institute of Art Yogyakarta. Despite having had his paintings featured in various exhibitions over the years, it was only in 2010 that his work received more attention from the artistic community. He now exhibits his works in prestigious galleries, art exhibitions (Jogja Art Fair), and also in the Museum Sunaryo (Esa Sampoerna).

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POPULAR ICONS: POST-PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPRESSION - Milovan Sutrisno, Curator

In modern society, painting is associated as part of the culture of the upper class, while photography considered as part of popular culture. The appearance of class boundaries between them can be encountered within the realm of Pop Art. The presence of the Pop Art movement opened up opportunities for the birth of popular icons as painting subjects. It is from this direction, that icon painting can be traced. Throughout the last two years, Arif painted many famous figures from various countries with different cultural backgrounds, ranging from Soekarno (Indonesia’s president) and Marilyn Monroe, to more contemporary icons such as Pippa Middleton. Icon paintings (historical and popular) seem to attact more interest than other subjects, such as kissing scenes and moments within ordinary life. This is perhaps due to the fact that painting portraits of popular figures is a form of subjective reinterpretation of personal images that were remembered by the masses. The iconisation of public figures usually exists in the world of media and therefore, they are skilled incapturing their personalities. Photographic representations of such figures have been featured in autobiographical books, media, and film. However, the characteristics of these public personas are captured both intimately and publicly, because at the end of the day, the legacy of these icons will be remembered and passed down through society’s memory.

Arif, on the other hand, expresses an entirely different dimension of the popular icons he chooses to paint. Nevertheless, due to the celebrity of the personalities in his paintings, they still impose the same reception experience of the post-photography concept. In short, Arif’s paintings have a relationship between the spontaneity of the brush and the “frozen” photography, generated, perhaps, by the effect of a screen of brush strokes with a realist object as a background. The effect is an aesthetic experience that becomes ambiguous or ambivalent: frozen but engaging; clear but vague; painted but photographic, redefining the status of paintings in a postphotographic era and presents a specific experience known as the “in between”. Overall, through his paintings of icons, Arif shows symptoms of a seizure of the character’s image, in a moment, between the public and the private. The Painter represents the individual consciousness, which has a relationship between the aesthetic and the images offered by popular media. Currently, Arief doesn’t want to be simply categorized as an icon painter. He has painted other various subjects and does not want to be shackled to a single concept, wishing to continue to create work that inspires our lives.

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MARILYN MONROE 120 x 150 cm

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PIPPA MIDDLETON - SMILING 170 x 145 cm

In “Pippa Middleton”, the message that Arif wishes to express is that the famous icon formed by the media at the moment of the Royal Wedding was not Kate Middleton, the English Prince’s Consort, but her sister, Pippa. At that time, Pippa chose to wear a simple dress during a great marriage, which was a very humble costume. However, several weeks after the wedding, images of Pippa in her bikini circulated around the internet. Everyone was stunned. Even the boss of Playboy offered Pippa a large sum to appear in an adult movie sequel. Arief believes that the media attention on her past, contrasted with her present is a phenomenon which would enable Pippa to become a great icon in a different way.

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ODE TO MOTHERLAND NO. 9 Fiber Glass Reinforced with Resin and Copper Plate and Brass Wire, 70 x 60 x 189 cm

CAI ZHISONG

A sculpture artist whose powerful work has gained him international recognition, Cai Zhisong, a graduate of Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Art, was the first Chinese artist to win the prestigious Taylor prize at the Paris Autumn Salon in Eiffel-Branly. Cai Zhisong is one of the five artists elected to attend Venice Biennale 2011 representing Chinese Pavilion. Cai Zhisong’s most recent creation entitled “Cloud” will be on display in this art festival. With the use of specialist techniques, this piece of work will float at the entrance of the Chinese Pavilion and automatically rise and fall according to temperatures, sunshine andother weather variations. Visitors can walk through freely among theclouds, producing a feeling of emptiness and Zen. Following the series of “Motherland” and “Rose”, “Cloud” is one ofCai’s most important works which belongs to his third series of “Cloud”. This piece has been successfully accomplished after working day and night for 63 days. Established in 1903, many of the world’s most famous artists have participated in the Autumn Salon, including Gauguin, Cezanne, Matisse, Renoir, Bonnard and Rodin. The Autumn Salon opens every year, comprising of painting, sculpture, architecture and photography. Named after Baron Taylor, only one distinguished artist receives the Taylor Prize every year.

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Created with great technical skill and inventiveness, Cai Zhisong’s impressive sculptures derive their inspiration from the sculptures of the Qin (221-206 B.C.) and Han Dynasties (206/202 B.C.-220). Taking empirical figures, servants and warriors as his models, he uses modern techniques and materials to transform historically endowed entities into an entirely new significance and actuality. Out of glass-fiber reinforced resin and thin sheets of metal Cai Zhisong creates figures that capture the viewer’s imagination and achieve a timeless beauty. Intricate surface detail, such as the figures’ ornate hairstyles created out of thin wires, contrast with the simple, clear shapes and poses of his sculptures. Although impressive in size, the use of high tech material makes the figures seem amazingly light. Cai Zhisong’s latest series of works -”Motherland”- not only shows his fascination with ancient Chinese culture but also addresses the dangers and consequences of cultural erosion in the face of today’s increasing Globalization. An attempt to counteract this development, his artwork attempts to establish an indigenous form of contemporary art. Central to his work lies the belief that art should

be pluralistic, while the modern art world - despite its seeming diversity - harbors the danger of uniformity. Cai Zhisong observes the already existent centralization and economic strength of western civilizations driving many marginalized regional cultures to the periphery of society to become culture reservations or tourist attractions. While Cai Zhisong’s interest in the past proves unequivocal, he also stresses the need to connect past and present to keep traditions alive and developing. He states: “Everything which we call heritage should be considered precious, especially living heritage, or, it may not truly be called heritage in the true sense of the word. I continually attempt to create artworks which are derived from our past legacy.” The artist is hence drawn to the Qin (221-206 B.C., whose emperor first united the many warring states in China) and Han (206/202 B.C. 220 A.D.) dynasties because he was inspired by the flourishing culture of those periods, a legacy that has left a lasting impact on Chinese history and customs today. Mixed with influences resulting from Cai’s classical academic training, these ideas of cultural identity and the past came together in the creation of “Motherland” to form a highly

individual interpretation of history and life. Cai Zhisong’s Ode to Motherland series consists of several over-lifesized sculptures of nude male figures. Although muscular, the figures’ muscles do not overemphasize the physique, but instead the figure’s outline and shape remain smooth and clear. The power of these figures communicates itself through their large heads and limbs. Their poses of humiliation and suppression contrast with their size and implied strength, while the nakedness of the figures further emphasize their vulnerability. Although derived from ancient sources, the expressive poses do not possess much in common with the static, solemn sculptureworks of former periods of Chinese art. Carefully balanced between movement and stillness they create a tension, which engages the viewer’s imagination. Furthermore, Cai Zhisong’s use of material gives his sculptures a modern feel. Choosing from a wide range of different materials available today from traditional to high tech, he develops a distinctive style, in which thin sheets of metal are applied to a skeleton of reinforced glassfiber resin, sometimes overlaying

the metal sheets further with other materials. Rather than building a smooth surface, the many small sheets overlay each other creating a patchwork pattern which, although barely visible, is one of the distinct characteristics of Cai Zhisong’s style. The often deferring, subservient poses of Cai Zhisong’s figures seem to mourn the loss of history and cultural identity of the present age. However they also convey more general ideas about the hardships of life, evoking feelings that every viewer can relate to.

The Custom to Motherland series consists of several smaller figures clothed in habitual costumes of the Han and Qin periods that possess a great actuality and lively presence.

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Although Custom to Motherland No.1 is one of the smaller of Cai Zhisong’s sculptures it at the same time proves one of the most impressive. The small body of an ancient warrior bends down, tired and exhausted. His arms hang down and his head bends forward. His whole posture seems as if he carries a heavy weight on his shoulders while he carefully sets one foot in front of the other. Even his dress seems crushed and crumpled by some exterior force weighing heavily on the delicate figure. Flat and even without much expression, the eyes barely visible and the wide mouth only slightly opened, the closed, stoical face contrasts the expressive emotions of the body.

Custom to Motherland No. 2, shows the just under life-sized figure of an ancient warrior kneeling down in a pose of supplication. Cai Zhisong’s masterly use of the material emphasizes the fragility of the figure, as in the way the lead sheets are creased to follow the movement of the figure or the careful arrangement of the lead wires to form the figure’s ornate hairstyle. Cai’s works evokes an ongoing concern with time pervades all of and is coupled with an awareness of the change that accompanies it. What is of particular interest to the artist, however, is that which does not change; the unerring presence of human emotion, and in particular the existence of suffering. Cai Shisong’s masterly use of the material emphasizes the fragility of the figure, as in the way the lead sheets are creased to follow the movement of the figure or the careful arrangement of the lead wires to form the figure’s ornate hairstyle. The visibility of the back of the figure’s head and neck under the aggressive looking hair-adornment also add to the figure’s vulnerability. Despite the perfect symmetry of the figure’s pose the sculpture remains full of tension. Looking down on the sculpture, the viewer may wonder to whom it bows and the reason for its gesture, thus forming an intimate dialogue between the artwork and the viewer. (view the following page)

CUSTOM TO MOTHERLAND NO.1 Bronze, 70 x 43 x 33 cm

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CUSTOM TO MOTHERLAND NO. 2 Bronze, 75 x 52 x 28 cm

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BLOWN AWAY 2, 2009 Charcoal & Acrylic on Canvas, 180 x 160 cm

IDA BAGUS PUTU PURWA

Born in 1972, Purwa is a young artist from Sanur in Bali, restless with the various problems he sees around him. For the past few years Ida Bagus Putu Purwa has indeed been enjoying presenting burly male figures, which move and dance with their unique gestures and body language. Through these male figures Purwa presents the problems he feels, using body language and gestures showing screams, sadness, fear, hunger for freedom, and so on. In the realm of art, physical bodies are closely attached to the dimension of history, and for centuries they have been explored in various works of art. During the golden age of the Greek civilization, man was incessantly obsessed with presenting realistic visualizations of the human body. It started with Samaticus inviting stone carvers from Egypt, who crossed the Mediterranean and gave birth to the sculpture Critean Boy, until finally Polly Cletus made an important discovery namely the anatomy of the human body which gave birth to the Reanche Bronzes. During the Renaissance we have seen a revival in Michael Angelo’s explorations and in an indepth study of anatomy by Leonardo da Vinci. The Reanche Bronzes were two sculptures of men, made very realistically in ancient Greece; these sculptures presented for the first time a realistic representation of the human body in dynamic positions of athletes. Although these were standing statues, their design was not static at all, they were very dynamic and suggested

movement. Exploration of body movement, particularly that of male bodies, is closely related to the historical development of art; the human body had always had a strong attraction for artists who like to present them in their works. Throughout history, the obsession of the human body had been closely related to the development of civilization, and usually men attempt to present their bodies more human than human.

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Perhaps Purwa, too, finds himself in the middle of such position, through athletic male figures with burly bodies, sometimes decorated with a clown mask, playing a role, acting out fragments of life. Athletic figures represent perfection and a tendency to position the body, which in fact is full of shortcomings. Bodies in Purwa’s works play a role in representing the restlessness they feel, these bodies take the role of actors to translate Purwa’s intention. The representation of male bodies in sociological context also indicates the issue of power that is mostly patriarchal, but the issue of power is not what Purwa intends to put forward. The male figures in Purwa’s works depict an ambiguous dimension, men who do not demonstrate power, but instead wear clown masks.

FEEL THE SKY, 2010 Charcoal & Acrylic on Canvas, 180 x 160 cm Mixed Medium

Purwa presents the feeling of a hunger for freedom through the body language of the male figure. The dynamic leap of the figure suggests a strong desire to break out of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current position, to reach towards something higher. The athletic figure represents perfection and a tendency to position the body, which in fact is full of shortcomings.

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WAR FAIR B13, 2009 Oil on Canvas, 110 x 130 cm

LV YANJUN

Born in Handan City, Hebei Province, China, Lv Yanjun received no formal education as he has hearing impairment and could not write. However, with his exceptional positive attitude in life, he persevered and taught himself the art of painting. This admirable artist is critical of the loss of political discourse in modern Chinese society. The women that Lv Yanjun paints strikes the viewer with their flawless appearance of perfect Oriental features and sensual lips. Contained in the images of these women is LV Yanjun’s attempt to articulate the desire of the modern Chinese for the superficial and their display of such superficial accumulation. He further emphasises this through painting these woman in the full uniform of the Cultural Revolution. With Daughters of Dragons, LV Yanjun uses this image to hint at what he believes is a the regression in Chinese society. He creates a contrast between China’s current material obsession with the more admirable ideals of the Chinese individual of the past. This emerging contemporary artist has held several exhibitions in regions such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Shijiazhuang in China.

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WAR FAIR A26, 2009 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 130 cm

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WAR FAIR A60, 2009 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 130 cm

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WAR FAIR AA03, 2010 Oil on Canvas, 110 x 130 cm

In contrast to the demure and serene expressions of women in many of Lv Yanjunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paintings, the one in this painting is posed boldly and confidently. She stares seductively at the viewer with narrowed eyes, the red of her lips even more intense than the adorning of her outfit. With fashionably tousled hair and an appearance highly charged with sexuality, the subject of this painting is a symbolic contrast against associations of discipline and solemnity, which come with the army uniform she is clothed in.

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WAR FAIR B13, 2009 Oil on Canvas, 110 x 130 cm

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WAR FAIR B14, 2009 Oil on Canvas, 110 x 130 cm

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WIND – 9 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cm

MIN YIYAO

Born in Xi’an, Shanxi Province and graduating from Xi’an Fine Art Academy, Min Yiyao is the latest portraiture artist at Ode To Art. His figurative works have been featured in major exhibitions in China, with solo and group exhibitions spanning Beijing, Xiamen, Shanghai, Nanjing, Taipei, Belgium, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Singapore. He promises to be a worthy addition to Ode To Art’s collection of Chinese artists. In Min’s works, the language of the technique draws the viewer rather that the image itself. They seem to draw on certain elements of fauvism in an attempt to move beyond a mere impressionistic view. This is even more interesting on portraiture works such as Min’s. That the technique serves as the primary focus is intriguing. It is not to say that the arresting images on Min’s canvas are any less impressive. However, it questions whether this is a deliberate attempt by the artist to employ a different language of artistic communication. With seemingly wild brushstrokes, he manages to capture light and depth. The random strokes’ play on the canvas unwittingly forming an image that thought did not prior define. He limits himself to a palette of colours that are exceedingly dreary, but which consequentially, serves to highlight this exact use.

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WIND – 10 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cm

Indeed, Minâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s works are fascinating because the viewer experiences a reversal of the norms that are expected of a portraiture piece. Instantly, the quality of distance is one that is experienced. The figures seem to be looking into mirrors in self-reflective gazes, pondering over a perennial existential dilemma. They have enclosed themselves within their own mirrored images with a ceaseless resonance of a single thought that does not transmit to the viewer. It is this deliberate disengagement that forces the viewer to crave for another mode of interaction with the art. And it is this self-inclusiveness of Minâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art that makes his work provocative to the eye.

STATE – 16 Mixed Medium, 150 x 120 cm

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Through scribbling which may appear random upon nearer inspection, Min Yiyao forms a transient and tumultuous close-up of an androgynous head, tilting backwards, eyes closed, as if savoring something. Part of his or her face has partially dissipated – it is as if this frail and unaware figure composed of scraggly lines is gradually being eaten away by the surrounding air.

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WIND – 11 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cm

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WIND – 12 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cm

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WIND – 13 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cm

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WIND – 14 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cm

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WIND – 15 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cm

WIND – 17 Oil on Canvas, 150 x 120 cm

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CLIMB 110 x 23 x 203 cm

RAINER LAGEMANN

Rainer Lagemann is a notable sculptor born in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1959. He received his formal education at the FH Lippe University in Detmold, Germany, specializing in Design and Architecture. Rainer is fascinated by the human body, the classic theme of artistic expression and struggle, depicted in all shapes, materials and mediums since the existence of mankind. Rainer’s sculpture captures the human body in motion--a freeze frame of classic, timeless gestures and emotions. The sculptures are both ethereal and concrete. The forms he creates are how one imagines a Nureyev or Baryshnikov would look in mid-flight. Rainer uses hollow metal squares to sculpt the human form, creating works that elicit both the strength and delicacy of the body. Each square represents the trials and tribulations of life. The four corners are the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual dimensions of human being. They are the framework of the spirit and the image of the body. The hollow squares invite the viewer to interact with the sculptures and fill the open space with their own imagination. The mixture of metal and open space adds an element of mystery and abstraction to the human form. This technique adds a spiritual dimension to the human shapes and forms and gives Rainer’s sculptures a universal quality.

With all of Rainer’s sculptures there is a secondary layer of beauty, abstraction and mystery. When darkness falls and the lights come on, the exquisite shadows of form, squares, body and spirit cast themselves upon the walls creating a second sculpture of light and shadow. “I choose to bronze plate the sculptures with a final finish of unpolished antique bronze, and the finish is galvanized with the whole sculpture dipped in Zinc to make it rust resistant, the texture reminds me of artifacts found after being hidden for centuries in the ground”Rainer

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Rainer’s work, Climber Antonio, was also selected by the Naples Museum of Art for their exhibition: Florida Contemporary 2010.

STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE 60 x 10 x 60 cm

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DEBORAH 41 x 11 x 60 inches

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FORWARD 135 x 23 x 41 cm Edition 1 of 3

THE ATHELETE 0511 SEAN 160 x 25 x 231 cm

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Rainer’s sculpture of The Athlete captures in a freeze frame the human body in motion. It is both ethereal and concrete, in that the human body is in mid-action, with emotions and gestures – things that are intangible – captured in a single moment, becoming real. In that moment, we are almost able to feel what the figure is feeling.

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FREE TO BE ME I 46 x 28 x 152 cm Edition 2 of 3

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XIE AI GE

Xie Aige was born in 1977 in Hunan province China. She graduated from Shanghai Fine Arts college and has since then been exhibiting extensively in both China and overseas international museums including solo exhibitions in the Duolun Museum (Shanghai) and Crailsheim Museum (Germany). Xie Aige’s most famous series, “Tai Chi”, consists of numerous bald men in traditional outfits, each posing in unique stances. The men all appear to be clones of each other – small scratchings of eyes set wide apart with broad, smooth noses above thick and solemn lips. The white paint coating her bronze sculptures gleam subtly like porcelain and, complement the simplicity and grace of these figures. Her works are collected by many institutions including Shanghai Park Hyatt, Beijing Capital Airport, Shanghai Hongji Group, People’s Bank of Italy, Shanghai Sculpture Art Center. She currently stays and works in Shanghai. She is currently a member of the Shanghai Sculpture Society and her artworks have been featured in multiple publications including “Contemporary Modern Art”, “Outstanding Young Artist Publication” among others.

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“TAIJI”, CLOSE TO SCULPTURE: XIE AIGE’S TREMENDOUS TRANSFORMATION - Chu Hao

It was in the spring of 2004 that I first came to know Xie Aige. I was then working at the organizing committee of Shanghai Spring Art Saloon when a large- scale art exhibition entitled “spring” was organized by the Fashion Saloon of Shanghai CITIC Square. With hundreds of participating artists, the art show covered a multitude of art works employing an entirely different variety of materials and works, among which I was most deeply impressed by the pottery works created by an artist named Xie Aige. I did not meet her when making arrangements for the art show. Her pottery was on display at an eye-catching place in the center of exhibition hall portraying a detailed-oriented yet proportionately exaggerated and slightly transformed realism figure. Ms. Xie arrived at the art exhibition on the date of the opening ceremony. To my surprise, with a long-stemmed Chinese pipe in her hand, she stepped into the exhibition hall hurriedly and put that pipe on the hand of her art works. It turned out that the long-stemmed Chinese pipe was an indispensable part of her works, which has left an unforgettable impression on my mind. Ms. Xie played an active role in almost all group exhibitions planned by me from 2004 to 2005. Her distinctive art works and remarkable style definitely enriched art materials and

enhanced artistic appreciation of art shows. Her works on display include such works as a touching moment in early spring, spring tropic and waking up time, etc. The art exhibition entitled I have a date with spring has been known as a benchmark in my career as an art show planner. The term “Contemporary art in China” was not invented or even clearly defined in 2005. Chinese art planners, who were not content with the status quo of the Chinese art at that time, took the lead in organizing a great many of influential pioneering artists in Shanghai by taking bold and drastic steps and coming up with relatively clearly-defined definition. Despite their relatively immature art works and imperfect materials and artistic languages, they still came up with their own versions and interpretation of early contemporary Chinese art free from dominance and influence of western art planners and organizers. These artists created art works showcasing their unique understanding and knowledge of art by insisting on taking a road of their own instead of copying and imitating art of western counterparts. The art planning team included more than 10 artists such as Xiao Xiaolan, Ji Wenyu, Chen Qiang, Chen Guanghui and Kangqing. I recommended art works and sculptures made by Xie Aige, Han Zijian and Yuan Kan. With her dedication and passion, Ms. Xie was the only artist participating in

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the art show named “spring trilogy” planned by me in 2005. The years from 2006 to 2008 witnessed tremendous and turbulent changes in terms of artists and development of artistic community in China. Because of gradual changes of my art show planning orientation, there were some gaps between Ms. Xie and me and thus she was not actively involved in my exhibitions and was moving away from my eyesight. However, she has thus embarked on a road leading to brilliant and fruitful artistic creation by setting up her studio in M50, which is equipped with electric kiln making pottery art works. Although I planned very few group art exhibitions at that time, yet I still paid visits to Ms. Xie’s studio whenever I traveled to M50. Moreover, Ms. Xie set up her very first art gallery on the second floor of a building in M50, where I have seen art sculptures made of glass steel and cast copper, characteristic of her impressive creativeness and vivid imagination in her pursuit of artistic development and improvement. I am not aware when Ms. Xie started to create sculpture. But I am sure the works named “Taiji” are of significant importance in her works. I am of the view that there is much extensive knowledge and profound understanding behind her “Taiji” works. Known as a complicated, mysterious and everlasting subject evolving from the time immemorial,

Taiji might represent the most essential and profound concept of ancient oriental culture, which interprets the eternal cycle of birth of all creatures and lives on the earth and has a direct bearing on the knowledge from the Book of Changes. According to YiJing Etymology, Yi consists of Taiji, which gives birth to the two appearances, and the two appearances give birth to the four images which in turn lead to development of the BaGua. What do two appearances mean? In a word, they are composed of Yin and Yang, two types of vital energy, which are used to explain the unfolding implications of the universe and all phenomena within, and they can hardly be changed by any human beings in the world. How could we explain and interpret such in-depth and profound knowledge and principles? Profound as the knowledge sounds, we still have to impart and pass it on to future generations in a relatively simple and easy manner. Therefore, Taiji shoulder boxing is one of the easiest ways to interpret the concept of Taiji in real life. Ms. Xie has also come up with her own version of “Taiji shoulder boxing”, which is known as “silly roots” series featuring works carrying a more relaxed and harmonious facial expressions, which are common characteristics of Taiji boxing grand masters. Compared with her other art works, Xie’s ‘Taiji” series are a great success.

By choosing “Taiji” as the theme of her works, Ms. Xie has selected the most essential and brilliant chapter of Chinese culture. Her works depict and represent the most important philosophical ideas between the heaven and earth such as Yin vs Yang, inner vs outer, movement vs quietness, soft vs hard, visionary vs real, strong vs weak, evil vs justice, dark vs bright, life vs death, etc.

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The year of 2010 is still deteriorating in terms of art market and economic scenario. British poet Percy Bysshe Shelley used to say: if winter comes, can spring be far behind? Ms. Xie’s works are closely related to the theme of spring. I have been looking forward to seeing her important works at art shows planned by me once again, in which “Taiji” works are arranged like a strong army with unyielding spirit symbolic of our Chinese nation. With “Taiji”, we are able to weather numerous calamities and surmount various catastrophes in the world. When facing land and heaven, the sun and the moon, the thunder and lightning, the tyrannical rain and strong wind, earthquake, flood, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, or even all kinds of disasters, both man-made and natural, we stand rock solid and rock firm with the very concept of “Taiji” deep in mind.

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DOU RONG JUN

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FLOAT Oil on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm

Dou Rong Jun’s works have continued to portray youthful males, poised in different positions and expressions. Hiding in the background of cold grey or in the warm grey, they stare with blank gazes, arresting the attention and stirring up the feelings of the viewer. The focus is on the male’s hands, which have been painted in a different shade. Dou wanted to draw focus to the hands because of the instrumental role hands play in all of man’s activities.

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SURRENDER Oil on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm

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RAIN OF TORMENT Oil on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm

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CARESS Oil on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm

THE LISTENER Oil on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm

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CONTEMPLATION Oil on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm

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CASCADE Oil on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm

first published 2011 by Ode To Art Contemporary Ode To Art Raffles City 252 North Bridge Road Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-36E/F, Singapore 179103 Tel: +65 6250 1901 Fax: +65 6250 5354 Ode To Art The Shoppes At Marina Bay Sands 2 Bayfront Ave #01-19, Singapore 018972 Tel: +65 6688 7779 Fax: +65 6688 7773 Ode To Art Kuala Lumpur 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, The Pavilion, #06-13/14, Kuala Lumpur 55100, Malaysia Tel: +603 2148 9816 sales@odetoart.com www.odetoart.com ÂŠ ode to art contemporary 2011

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the the prior written permission of the publisher. Design Relay Room Meaurements of artworks are given in centimetres

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