Liu Ruowang

1977 – Born in Jia County, Shaanxi Province

2005 – Graduated from Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing

2005 – Piece ‘The East is Red’ selected for ‘Bright Lights of the Academy’ exhibition at the Central Academy of Fine Art and awarded an honour for outstanding achievement

Exhibitions:

2005 – ‘Yellow Sky, Deep Earth – Sculpture Exhibition’ – China Century Temple

2005 – ‘Peace and Prosperity – Sculpture Exhibition’ – Wangfujing Pedestrian Street, Beijing

2005 – ‘People Series 1’ Liu Ruowang Solo Exhibition – 798 District, Beijing

2005 – ‘Survival Space – A Structure for Going Forward – Art Exhibition’ – Beijing Guanghua International Art Street

2005 – ‘Stay Behind – Beijing International Arts Exhibition’ – Beijing Suojiacun International Art Camp

2006 – ‘Liu Ruowang People Series 2 – Sculpture Exhibition’ – 798 District Beijing

2006 – ‘Art Beijing’ – Beijing Agriculture Centre

2007 – ‘The East is Red’ – Liu Ruowang Solo Exhibition – Beijing Singapore Xingyi Gallery

2007 – ‘Pictures of Yesterday’ – Beijing Sal Tree Flower Centre

2007 – ‘Contemporary Sculpture’ – Beijing Exhibition Centre

2007 – ‘Korea High East Art Museum – Sculpture Exhibition’ – Seoul, Korea

2007 – ‘Chinese Contemporary Art Document’ – Gehua Building, Beijing

In my own words…

I was born in the 1970s in a small village in Shaanxi, where I spent a sometimes gloomy, sometimes happy childhood.

As I recall, during my childhood our village had still not solved the problems of adequate food and warmth, we also didn’t have electricity. The only fun to be had was listening to my grandfather tell stories.

My grandfather was a learned and somewhat conservative man. Under his influence, during my childhood I read "Three Kingdoms", "Journey to the West", "Outlaws of the Marsh" and other classic works. I worshipped the heroes of these stories, and from then on I endlessly painted Guan Yu, The Monkey King, Lu Zhishen and the other heroes of my imagination. This played an important part in my personal enlightenment.

As I gradually grew up, I searched for knowledge so I could make a living. From classes at school I could only gain a superficial knowledge of Western art, repeatedly I tried and failed with these techniques, I couldn’t escape the influence of my childhood but at the same time, I felt that my earlier efforts were just childish doodles. They were not art, so they should be discarded. Through these years I struggled with contradictions – so-called meditation seeking enlightenment. I wandered around, trying to learn the essence of art; and I was miserable. Although most days I was hungry and I had no place to stay, I restrained myself from material pursuits and paid close attention to people’s spirit. “Sleep on brushwood and taste gall”, “Riding alone for thousands of miles” ---- Chinese people encourage this spirit, they are solemn and stirring, honest and unsophisticated with a vitally energetic nature. Throughout the ages, the Chinese people have remained the same.

In recent years, living in Beijing I have begun to think about ‘world affairs’, I have looked through a crack in the door and spied some of the changes in the world. In my understanding of the world, in the world of affairs, whether these affairs are good or bad, important, magnificent, tragic…they become the history of ordinary Chinese people. ‘Success and failures vanish when we turn our heads’, even magnificent events must tomorrow become the past – amid so many people, am I still sure which road to follow?

Today I have already reached ‘the year when I took my stand’. It seems as if I have again returned to my childhood, I can go back to myself and resolve my childhood dreams of becoming a general. I will realize them through sculpture and painting and use art to relieve the pains and confusions of today.

Artwork Comments

The East is Red

The song ‘The East is Red’ has been sung for half a century, both north and south of the great river, red represented the motherland. Today, after many decades, in the old revolutionary areas people are living the same life as before, still waiting for a happier life. I borrowed the modeling from the Qin/Han sculptures and the main colours of black and red came from Han dynasty lacquer work to express the honesty and magnanimity of the Chinese people. Black also happens to correspond to the colour of the padded jackets worn by peasants in the past. Red stands for blood and revolution; the lack of movement in the poses stands for the peasants unwavering support of revolution, and their awaiting happiness.

People Series 1 & 2

For the ‘People Series’ I used techniques from traditional Chinese sculpture to express the people’s loyal and solemn integrity. Throughout the ages, individual’s destinies are different, what has remained the same is social strata, the same tragic sacrifice in every revolutionary movement, and the same bewilderment about what the heroic sacrifice achieved.

Horse and Carriage Guard

I used the form of excavated sculptures to make the ‘Horse and Carriage Guard’, creating a parade of armed forces. I wanted to solidify the mighty and splendid moments of history and represent Chinese scholars’ special conceptions of history and feelings about culture. ‘Success and failures vanish when we turn our heads’, even magnificent events must tomorrow become the past, everything is as transient as a fleeting cloud.

All of the above works, without exception, can be read differently. I personally believe art has always been a case of ‘the kind see kindness, the wise see wisdom’.