National Gallery Singapore
Chinese Ink Art Reinvigorated Through Experimentation By Artist Liu Kuo-Sung
Chinese Ink Art Reinvigorated Through Experimentation By Artist Liu Kuo-Sung National Gallery Singapore stages Singapore’s largest retrospective on the artist
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 11 January 2023 – A pioneering figure in modern Chinese ink practices around the world; an artist who went beyond conventional painting techniques to push boundaries in textures and materials. Liu Kuo-sung is a world-renowned modern ink master who reconstructed traditions with modernity to create unique ink paintings and transformed the art practice.
Installation view, Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method. National Gallery Singapore 2022. Image credit: Joseph Nair, Memphis West Pictures
Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method is Singapore’s largest exhibition in a public museum dedicated to the artist. The show, which opens on 13 January, is a retrospective spanning seven decades of Liu’s artistic career, spotlighting his trailblazing experimentation and sophisticated integration of traditional Chinese and Western art philosophies, which resulted in significant contributions to modern Chinese ink.
Liu Kuo-sung (b. 1932) is lauded for his contributions to the global development of modern and contemporary ink art. Through his career, the 91-year-old artist has devoted his energies to exploring and advocating for the modernisation of Chinese painting. He was a key founding member of the Fifth Moon Group – a group of artists which initiated a modern art movement in Taiwan between the 1950s and 1970s – and exemplified his modern approaches through his own ink practice and art writings by boldly abandoning Chinese painting conventions.
Liu Kuo-sung at Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method, National Gallery Singapore 2022. Image credit: Joseph Nair, Memphis West Pictures
Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method presents over 60 breathtaking ink works and 150 archival materials from Liu’s personal collection, which trace his breakthrough artistic practice across seven decades. This exhibition features works generously donated to the Gallery from Liu, with future additional donations being explored.
Lin-Hwei Lee from The Liu Kuo-sung Foundation says, “Over the years, we have seen National Gallery Singapore’s reputable efforts to raise awareness and foster deeper appreciation for Chinese ink. We hope that this donation enables the Gallery to further expand its exhibitions and programmes on Chinese ink to showcase the diversity and beauty of Chinese ink practice for its visitors.”
Experimentation as a method to traditional Chinese ink practice: Exhibition highlights Installation view, Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method. National Gallery Singapore 2022. Image credit: Joseph Nair, Memphis West Pictures
In the early phases of his artistic career in the 1960s, Liu already began making innovations in ink. Focusing on the use of materials, he invented his own paper, aptly named Liu Kuo-sung Paper, a coarse textured thick cotton paper with fibres “glued” to the surface of the paper. After applying ink, the fibres are removed to create a special effect of white lines and textures in the painting. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the texture of this paper and the applications of it in the first exhibition section, Dance of Ink. During the 1960s, Liu had the opportunity to travel to the United States. The 60s also coincided with the buzz of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. This significant global event was captured in one of Liu’s important collage pieces, titled Moon Walk (1969) which he created by attaching an image torn out from LIFE magazine and blended it into his unique ink painting style. He also encountered practices such as pop art and hard-edge painting, an approach to abstract painting characterised by areas of flat colour with sharp or hard edges. This influenced him to use bright and bold colours in his works. He created an intriguing visual contrast and resonance, contrasting expressive strokes with varied and rich textures of ink and paper in the composition. In the section titled Which is Earth?, view how Liu extended the natural imagery of Chinese landscape painting to the eternal and infinite cosmic landscape of the universe.
In the 2000s, Liu revisited the cosmic views that were first captured in his works from the 1960s, which were inspired by iconic Earth photographs captured by the Apollo 8 space mission, and anchored by celestial bodies hung above landscapes of the Earth. Coming (2014), which measures over three metres long, captures the movement of celestial objects across time and space.
Throughout his career, Liu never ceased to apply this same philosophy to his own practice, refining and redefining Chinese ink through his innovative use of materials and polishing of his techniques, such as water rubbing, paper rubbing, paper tearing and steeped-ink painting – present in the artworks displayed in Searching for Paradise. Despite this desire to expand the practice of the medium, his inspiration from nature remained consistent.
Visitors can look forward to docent-led tours, activities for the family and children to learn more about ink paintings, a multi-programme response to the exhibition by Siong Leng Musical Association as well as a special dish at The Great Mischief inspired by one of Liu Kuo-sung’s artworks. Talks and panel discussions will also engage audiences in the artistic practices of the master artist.
Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method will run from 13 January to 26 November 2023 at National Gallery Singapore, Level 4 Gallery and Wu Guanzhong Gallery.
General Admission (free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents) applies.
National Gallery Singapore is a leading visual arts institution which oversees the world’s largest public collection of Singapore and Southeast Asian modern art. Situated at the birthplace of modern Singapore, in the heart of the Civic District, the Gallery is housed in two national monuments – City Hall and former Supreme Court – that have been beautifully restored and transformed into this exciting 64,000 square metre venue. Reflecting Singapore’s unique heritage and geographical location, the Gallery aims to be a progressive museum that creates dialogues between the art of Singapore, Southeast Asia and the world to foster and inspire a creative and inclusive society. This is reflected in our collaborative research, education, long-term and special exhibitions, and innovative programming. The Gallery also works with international museums such as Centre Pompidou, Musée d’Orsay, Tate Britain, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (MOMAT) and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), to jointly present Southeast Asian art in the global context, positioning Singapore as a key node in the global visual arts scene. In 2020, the Gallery was the only museum in Southeast Asia that received a ranking in The Art Newspaper’s annual global survey of attendance at art museums, taking 20th place. It was the first museum in Asia to receive the Children in Museums Award by the European Museum Academy and Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums in 2018. The Gallery also won the awards for “Best Theme Attraction” at TTG Travel Awards 2017, “Best Attraction Experience”, “Breakthrough Contribution to Tourism” and “Best Customer Service (Attractions)” at the prestigious Singapore Tourism Awards in 2016 for its role in adding to the vibrancy of Singapore’s tourism landscape.
End of Media Release Issuer: National Gallery Singapore Key word(s): Art
11.01.2023 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Press Release, transmitted by EQS News – a service of EQS Group AG. |
Language: | English |
Company: | National Gallery Singapore |
Singapore | |
EQS News ID: | 1532911 |
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