'Fang Lijun Ceramic Works Exhibition' Opens at Sands Gallery
Unique and creative showcase open daily until June 24
(Macao, May
16, 2023) – Sands China launched its latest art
exhibition, Fang Lijun Ceramic Works
Exhibition, with an opening ceremony
Tuesday at the Grand Suites at Four
Seasons.
Fang
Lijun Ceramic Works Exhibition is part of
Sands China's ongoing commitment to the diversification
of art and culture in Macao, providing a platform for
promoting extensive exchange and cooperation among local
and international art
talent.
The exhibition
presents nearly 60 works of art from
Fang Lijun, an internationally
sought-after artist known as one of the Four
Giants of Chinese contemporary art. A
native of China's Hebei province, he is a graduate of
the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the first modern
Chinese artist to have his work featured on the cover of
The New York Times
Magazine.
Fang
Lijun Ceramic Works Exhibition features the
artist's unique skin-like ceramics, which are densely
structured and highly delicate. They are the result of a
creative approach in which he has used the artistic
language of ceramics in a brand-new artistic experiment
– a departure from his iconic bald-headed figures and
flamboyant colour
aesthetics.
The exhibition
theme, “Bone of the Bone, Flesh of the Flesh,” is
inspired by the story of God creating Eve with one of
Adam's ribs, and examines the idea that bones and flesh
are the origin of life and looks at their connection
with the process of
creation.
Fang is a
pioneer of China's "Post-1989 New Art Movement," "Rascal
Culture," and "China Pop." Over the past decade, he has
continuously experimented with different materials,
media, visual effects and artistic forms, applying them
in projects like ceramic installations, ink paintings,
videos and outdoor public artworks. He is a pursued
artist whose works have been featured by major
international art museums, art foundations, and public
exhibitions.
"Macao's
connection with ceramics and its export is centuries
old, as an important port on the Maritime Silk Road,"
said Grant Chum, chief operating officer and
executive director of Sands China Ltd.
"Sands China has held several international ceramic
exhibitions featuring innovative artworks at our
integrated resorts in recent years, bringing enlivening
art experiences to our guests. We are honoured to shine
a spotlight again on this ancient Chinese artistic
medium – this time featuring Fang Lijun, one of the
paramount representative figures of Chinese new art
movements. Exhibitions like this one, featuring unique
and exquisite artworks, support Sands Gallery's
development into a high-level platform for artistic
showcase and exchange. We hope this and other
exhibitions will cultivate art appreciation among our
visitors, inspire Macao's artists, and stimulate the
local cultural and creative industries. Our gratitude
goes to the Liaison Office of the Central People's
Government in the Macao SAR, the Macao SAR Government,
and members of Macao's art and cultural
sector."
Fang said:
"Artistic creation centres around humanity, without a
fixed standard. I have used ceramic as the medium to
imitate the physical layers of the human body, thereby
initiating broader and more direct representations of
life through lifelike ceramics. Thanks to the invitation
from Sands China, I have the opportunity to showcase the
process and results of my recent experimental ceramic
creations for the first time in Macao through this
exhibition. I am honoured to share and exhibit my
ceramic artwork with the audience in
Macao."
The exhibition
was curated by veteran curator Luo Yi,
who has more than 20 years of experience in the creative
industry, including 18 years curating and managing
museums in the contemporary art and design industry. She
previously served as the deputy general manager of Today
Art Museum (TAM, the first non-profit art museum in
China) and the executive director of Today Design Museum
(the designing house of TAM). Since 2012, she has worked
as a consultant for many important domestic museums,
curated a series of contemporary art and design
exhibitions and academic activities, and participated in
consultations organised by the Ministry of Culture and
Tourism and the Ministry of Civil Affairs on art gallery
system management
methods.
Luo said: "As
a new medium, ceramic seldom appears in Fang's frequent
exhibitions; this exhibition implements his intention
and concept of using art to subvert the way we view and
think about things. I would like to thank Sands China
for their invitation to showcase Fang Lijun's ceramic
creations in this land, which boasts a special history
and sentiment towards ceramic art, and I hope to bring
more conceptual depth and creative motives to ceramic
art, an ancient art form that is still very
vibrant."
Guests of
honour at Tuesday's opening ceremony were Chum; Cheong
Chok Man, director of the Policy Research and Regional
Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Ricky
Hoi, deputy director of the Macao Government Tourism
Office; Susanna Un Sio San, representative of the
Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR and director of
the Macao Museum of Art; Wang Yuwei, representative of
the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison
Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao
SAR; Fang; and
Luo.
Fang
Lijun Ceramic Works Exhibition is open for
public viewing daily at Sands Gallery
with free admission, May 17-June 24, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., on
the 6th floor of the Grand Suites at Four
Seasons.
Since its
launch in 2022, Sands Gallery has been
dedicated to introducing a greater diversity of art
exhibitions to the city and promoting the sustainable
development of the local art and cultural industry. This
permanent art space was born out of Sands China's
increased investment in art and cultural development and
its commitment to support the SAR government's
implementation strategy of non-gaming development. Sands
Gallery regularly invites internationally renowned
artists to host a variety of types of art exhibitions in
Macao to enrich the art experiences of local residents
and tourists. To date, Sands Gallery has already
organised six art exhibitions that feature Chinese and
international artists.
Photo caption: Guests of honour cut the ribbon
Tuesday at the opening ceremony of Fang Lijun Ceramic Works
Exhibition at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons. The
exhibition is open for public viewing daily at Sands Gallery
with free admission, May 17-June 24, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., on the
6th floor of the Grand Suites at Four
Seasons.
Photo caption: Grant Chum, chief operating officer
and executive director of Sands China Ltd., delivers his
remarks Tuesday at the opening ceremony of Fang Lijun
Ceramic Works Exhibition at the Grand Suites at Four
Seasons.
Photo caption: Artist Fang Lijun addresses guests at
the opening ceremony of Fang Lijun Ceramic Works Exhibition
at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons
Tuesday.
Photo caption: Exhibition curator Luo Yi speaks to
attendees of the opening ceremony of Fang Lijun Ceramic
Works Exhibition at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons
Tuesday.
Photo caption: Guests receive a guided tour on
Tuesday of Sands China's latest art exhibition, Fang Lijun
Ceramic Works Exhibition, by the exhibition's artist. The
exhibition is open for public viewing daily at Sands Gallery
with free admission, May 17-June 24, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., on the
6th floor of the Grand Suites at Four
Seasons.