Liu Ye (; born in 1964) is a Beijing-based contemporary Chinese painter known for his bright-hued paintings of childlike female figures, his favorite cartoon character
Miffy
Miffy ( nl, Nijntje, pronounced ) is a fictional rabbit appearing in a series of picture books drawn and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. The original Dutch name, "Nijntje", is a shortening of the diminutive ''konijntje'', "little rabbit".
Th ...
the bunny and works inspired by
Piet Mondrian
Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (), after 1906 known as Piet Mondrian (, also , ; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), was a Dutch painter and art theoretician who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He is known for being ...
. Liu Ye is part of a generation of artists who grew up during the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
. However, unlike most acclaimed Chinese contemporary art, his works have little political implications. Instead, he prefers to use a universal language to depict his inner world. His work has been exhibited extensively in China, Europe and the United States.
Early life
Liu Ye was born and raised in Beijing. His father was an author of children's books, who was compelled to spend much of his time working in countryside under
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
's
Down to the Countryside Movement
The Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside Movement, often known simply as the Down to the Countryside Movement, was a policy instituted in the People's Republic of China between mid 1950s and 1978. As a result of what he perceived to ...
, kept many banned books hidden away in a black chest under his bed, including
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales.
Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...
's fairy tales, tales by
Alexander Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
,
Anna Karenina
''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, «Анна Каренина», p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever writte ...
,
War and Peace
''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...
,
Journey to the West
''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popu ...
and
The Water Margin
''Water Margin'' (''Shuihu zhuan'') is one of the earliest Chinese novels written in vernacular Mandarin, and is attributed to Shi Nai'an. It is also translated as ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' and ''All Men Are Brothers''.
The story, which is s ...
. All those books and their illustrations influence Liu Ye's art continuously. From early on, Liu Ye demonstrated interest and talent in drawing. At the age of 10, Liu's father introduced him to Tan Quanshu, who became his first official art teacher. Since then, Liu took drawing lessons with Tan once or twice a week for five years, which was a significant period of time when he mastered basic artistic techniques. At 13, Liu Ye paused studying art temporarily because his left eye was found with amblyopia and the doctor believed that would affect his sense of space as an artist. But he did not give up his dream to be an artist and his amblyopia does not seem to destruct his art works.
Education
In 1980, Liu Ye applied for the Interior Design department at the School of Arts & Crafts in Beijing but eventually enrolled in the Industrial Design department where he started to learn about western modern art. For the first time, he was introduced to the teachings of the
Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...
and the works of Piet Mondrian, who became his art hero later on. In 1984, after graduating from the School of Arts & Crafts, Liu Ye worked for the research center at Beijing Gongmei (arts and crafts) Group and prepared for college entry exam at the same time. In 1986, Liu Ye enrolled in the Mural Painting department at the
Central Academy of Fine Arts
The Central Academy of Fine Arts or CAFA is an art academy under the direct charge of the Ministry of Education of China. The Manila Bulletin calls the school "China’s most prestigious and renowned art academy". It is one of the most selectiv ...
with an outstanding academic score. It was a time when college students in China grew enthusiasm about psychology and philosophy, especially about works by Freud. Liu was also inspired by The Interpretation of Dream and other books by
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his ...
and
Hendrik van Loon
Hendrik Willem van Loon (January 14, 1882 – March 11, 1944) was a Dutch-American historian, journalist, and children's book author.
Life
He was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the son of Hendrik Willem van Loon and Elisabeth Johanna Hanken. ...
. During his time at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Liu Ye often drew comic strips and published them in newspaper for some income. In 1989, before graduating from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Liu Ye travelled to Germany and passed the entry exam of
Berlin University of the Arts
The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research universiti ...
, where he finished his undergraduate study and received his
MFA in 1994. In 1998, he joined the
Artist-in-residence
Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...
at
Rijksacademie in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
where he further developed his skills and in 2001, he had an internship at Delfina studio Trust in London.
all
Art work
Liu Ye's interest in Western art and his experience studying in Berlin distinguishes him from many of his contemporary Chinese artists who have turned their art as a weapon against the Communist Regime after the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989. As the art historian Pi Li says,"The major difference between him and his contemporaries was that he did not go through the period of rage around 1989
ollowing the Tiananmen Square massacre nor did his works contain elements of 'collective' images." Around the same period of time, Liu Ye was witnessing the change in Europe as the Berlin Wall came down, touring Europe's art museums and studying masters of Western modernism like
Paul Klee
Paul Klee (; 18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss-born German artist. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented wi ...
and
Johannes Vermeer
Johannes Vermeer ( , , #Pronunciation of name, see below; also known as Jan Vermeer; October 1632 – 15 December 1675) was a Dutch Baroque Period Painting, painter who specialized in domestic interior scenes of middle class, middle-class life. ...
. Instead of focusing on his Chinese origin, Liu Ye embraces some more universal themes like beauty, feeling and hope in his works. As he puts it, "Seeking beauty is the last chance for human beings. It is like shooting at the goal; it arouses an emotion that is wild with joy."
By the time Liu Ye went back to China in 1994, his works were deeply influenced by
German Expressionism
German Expressionism () consisted of several related creative movements in Germany before the First World War that reached a peak in Berlin during the 1920s. These developments were part of a larger Expressionist movement in north and central ...
, showing intense personal expression with an overall gloomy tone. The works by Mondrian as a symbol and the Mondrian composition had already appeared in a lot of his work. Mirror, his self-portray, and the
surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
of
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte (; 21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) was a Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature and bounda ...
are other important indicators of his early work. During this period, Liu started to depict a little scenario in each of his work, which continues to be one of his recognizable styles.
After 1994, as Liu Ye returned to Beijing, his style and subject matters changed with the environment. He started to portray himself more as a little boy than a young man as he did before. More female figures appeared. The settings of his painting moved from rooms to theatres where scenes he saw in China as a little boy, his childhood dream were depicted. Chorus, fleet and sailor boys were repetitive subjects portrayed during the period. His preference for using primary colors can be traced to his childhood days in Beijing as well. "I grew up in a world of red", he recalls, "the red sun, red flags, red scarves with green pines and sunflowers often supporting the red symbols".
By 2000, Liu ye had gradually developed his own distinguishable style. From 2000, Liu ye moved his attention away from himself and started to portray figures he has interest in such as
Eileen Chang
Eileen Chang ( zh, t=張愛玲, s=张爱玲, first=t, w=Chang1 Ai4-ling2, p=Zhāng Àilíng;September 30, 1920 – September 8, 1995), also known as Chang Ai-ling or Zhang Ailing, or by her pen name Liang Jing (梁京), was a Chinese-born Am ...
,
Ruan Lingyu
Ruan Lingyu (born Ruan Fenggen; April 26, 1910 – March 8, 1935), also known by her English name Lily Yuen, was a Chinese silent film actress. One of the most prominent Chinese film stars of the 1930s, her exceptional acting ability and suicid ...
,
Andersen Andersen () is a Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Anders" (itself derived from the Greek name " Ανδρέας/Andreas", cf. English Andrew). It is the fifth most common surname in Denmark, shared by about 3.2% of the population.< ...
,
Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a h ...
, and so on. At the same time, he started to paint his favorite cartoon character Miffy the bunny as a reflection of himself. Liu Ye fell in love with the cartoon character created by
Dick Bruna
Dick Bruna (born Hendrik Magdalenus Bruna, 23 August 1927 – 16 February 2017) was a Dutch author, artist, illustrator and graphic designer.
Bruna was best known for his children's books which he authored and illustrated, numbering over 200. His ...
immediately after he first saw her while he was living in Amsterdam because he saw himself in the bunny, who is seemingly simple but actually extremely intelligent. The Mondrian symbol returned to his work, usually portrayed together with a little girl or boy, sometimes with Miffy as well.
Around 2004 and 2005, Liu Ye's fairytale-like fantasy was replaced by a more mild and realistic style. An adolescent girl is featured repetitively. Some paintings depict her engaging in rather simple activities such reading or embarking on a journey while others contain subtle sexual implications. Vermeer's influence became increasingly obvious in those works with the evidence of his pursuit of the perfection of human beauty.
In 2013, Liu Ye's painting ''Sword'' was sold for HK$42.68m at
Sotheby’s
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...
Hong Kong. In 2019, his painting ''Smoke'' (2001-2002) was sold for a new record price of HK$52.18m (US$6.65m) at Sotheby's Hong Kong. ''Smoke'' is the first painting from a trinity of epic crimson-hued horizontal canvases from 2001-2002, the second of which resides in the esteemed M+ Sigg Collection and the third in an eminent private collection after fetching the artist’s auction record in 2013.
Exhibitions
2013 Liu Ye, Johnen Galerie, Berlin, Germany (solo)
2012 Modern@MoDeng, Gallery Hotel, Beijing, China
Lightness, Iberia Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
Bamboo Bamboo Broadway, Sperone Westwater, New York, USA
Art for the Masses, Red Star Gallery, Beijing, China
In Time - 2012 Chinese Oil Painting Biennale, The National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
Faces, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2011 10th Anniversary of Soka Art Beijing, Soka Art Center, Beijing, China
Print-Concept: The Second Academic Exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Prints, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
Portraits, Eastation Gallery, Beijing, China
Exhibition of Fine Art Artist Prints, S.O Art Space, Shanghai, China
China Contemporary Prints Exhibition, M-Space, Shanghai, China
2010 China. Real? - ArtChina Gallery, Hamburg, Germany
Fabrique en Chine - Chinese Artists Group Exhibition - Beyond Art Space, Beijing, China
Think Pink - Gavlak Gallery, Palm Beach, USA
Restoration: Contemporary Collotype Print Exhibition (group) - Millenium Gallery, Beijing, China
Clouds: Power of Asian Contemporary Art - Soka Art Center, Beijing, China
Passion Fruits Picked from the Olbright Collection - Me Collectors Room, Berlin, Germany
2009 In the Mood for Paper, Art Gallery, Beijing
Liu Ye: Leave Me in the Dark (solo) - Sperone Westwater, New York, USA
Normality: 2009 Art Works Show - Fine Arts Literature Art Center, Wuhan, China
Related to the Context: Contemporary Painting Exhibition - Found Museum, Beijing, China
2008 China macht Druck. Zeitgenössische Chinesische Druckgrafik, Städtische Galerie Bietigheim – Bissingen
Crouching Paper, Hidden Dragon - Works on Paper, F2 Gallery, Beijing
China Macht Druck, Stadtische Galerie, Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany
2007 Liu Ye - Solo Exhibition, Johnen & Schöttle, Cologne, Germany
RE-collection - A Retrospective Look at 15 years of Art and Vision, Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong
Time Difference, Initial Access Frank Cohen Collection, Wolverhampton, UK
Chinese Window, Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern, Switzerland (solo)
2006 Temptations, Sperone Westwater, New York, USA (solo)
Mahjong Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg collection, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
The First Chinese Contemporary Arts Annual Exhibition, China Millennium Monument Art Museum, Beijing, China
2005 Liu Ye / Kaneda Shoich, Gallery Frank Schlag & Cie. GmbH, Essen, Germany
Vehicle & Mirror, Beijing New Art Projects, Beijing, China
Project room / Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (solo)
Mahjong Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg collection, Kunstmuseum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
2004 Red Yellow Blue, Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong (solo)
Fiction @ Love, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
Dreaming of the Dragon's nation, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland
Stone Face, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China
2003 Red Yellow Blue, Schoeni Art Gallery, Beijing, China (solo)
Images of Women VIII, Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong
Left Hand, Right Hand, 798 Space Art & Culture Co. Ltd., Beijing, China
A Bulimic Rhapsody, Tongdao Studio of 798 Factory, Beijing, China
ChinArt, Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary
ChinArt, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Roma, Rome, Italy
Lifetime, Beijing Tokyo Art Projects, Beijing, China
2002 Poster design of Contemporary Artists,
Red Gate Gallery Red Gate Gallery, founded by Brian Wallace, is Beijing's first private contemporary art gallery. Located in the historic Southeast Corner Tower at Dongbianmen, one of the few Ming dynasty towers to survive the destruction of the city wall, the gall ...
Beijing, China
The Beauty of Screen, Today Gallery, Beijing, China
Paris-Pekin, Espace Pierre Cardin, Paris, France
ChinArt, Museum Kuppersmuehle fur Moderne Kunst, Duisburg, Germany
Small Panels Show, Schoeni Art Museum, Beijing, China
The First Guanghouw Trienal, Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China
Beijing Inaugural Exhibition, Schoeni Art Gallery III, Beijing, China
Chinese Contemporary Art, Reykjavic Art Museum, Iceland
Boys from Beijing, Chinese Contemporary Ltd., London, England
2001 Fellini, A Guardsman, Mondrian, The Pope and My Girlfriend, Chinese Contemporary Gallery, London, England (solo)
The First Chengdu Biennale, Chengdu, China
Chinese Mythology, Yidian Gallery, Shanghai, China
First impression, Yibo Gallery, Shanghai, China
Transparence / Opacity, De Markten, Brussels, Belgium
Undo, Aura gallery, Shanghai, China
Graphix & Comix in China, Canvas International Art, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2000 A Selection From Collection, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Liu Ye and Mao Yan, Mao Yan, Chinese Contemporary London, England
Galerie Lococo Mulder, Berlin, Germany (solo)
1999 Liberation, Chinese Contemporary London, England
The 40th, China Art Gallery Berlin, Germany
1998 It's Me! -- A Profile of Chinese Contemporary Art in the 90s, traveled Beijing, China
From Behind the Bamboo Curtain, LUMC Gallery Leiden\Chinese Invitational Exhibition, Liu Haisu Gallery Shanghai
Mondrian in China, Art Gallery of the International Palace in Beijing, China
1997 Made in China, Gallery Serieuse Zaken Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Ming Jing Di Gallery Beijing, China (solo)
1995 Gallery Taube Berlin, Germany (solo)
New Anecdotes of Social Talk, Art Gallery of International Palace, Beijing, China
1993 Gallery Taube Berlin, Germany (solo)
1991 FBK Art Exhibition, Berlin, Germany
1988 Silk Road, China Art Gallery, Beijing, China
all
[Liu Ye's Biography, Artnet.com http://www.artnet.com/artists/liu-ye/biography-links]
External links
Liu Ye on Artnet.comLiu Ye on David Zwirner
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Ye
Living people
1964 births
Chinese contemporary artists
Berlin University of the Arts alumni