TheWorldofXiongyi
PaintingsbyLiXiongyi
November16to24,2014
Auditorium,UBCAsianCentre
1871WestMall,Vancouver,BC
OpeningReception:SUNDAY,NOVEMBER16,2:30-5:00PM
Co-organizedby:YISHUInitiativeofContemporaryChineseArtSociety
&DepartmentofArtHistory,VisualArtandTheory,UBC
Hours:
Mon-Fri9am-5pm
Sat12pm-5pm
Contact:YanlongGuo 604-7796851
雄伊的世界
-李雄伊油画展
2014年11月16日至24日
不列颠哥伦比亚大学亚洲中心礼堂
加拿大温哥华
开幕茶会：11月16日下午2时30分至5时
由加中当代艺术创进协会与不列颠哥伦比亚大学艺术史、视觉艺术与理论系协同举办
开放时间：
周一至周五：上午9时至下午5时
周六：上午12时至下午5时
联系人：郭彦龙
电话：604-7796851
Foreword
Letmylove,likesunlight,surroundyou
Andyetgiveyouilluminedfreedom.
InloveIpaymyendlessdebttothee
Forwhatthouart.
Myloveoftodayfindsnohome
Inthenestdesertedbyyesterday'slove.
-TagoreFireflies
ThisisthefavouritepoemofLiXiongyi,theoilpainter.Asayoungartist,hecreatesuniqueworksofinnocenceandpurity,andtheanimals,peopleandplantshepaintsarefilledwithyouthfulfreedomandimagination.Hedrawshissubjectsfromhispersonallife-theflowersheputsonhisbalcony,theanimalsheseesfromhistravelsacrosstheworld,thetoypigletthataccompanieshimfromchildhoodtonow,theportraitsofhisrelativesandfriends.Heusessaturatedandsimplecolourstoportrayhislife,andsometimeshedoesn'tevenprimethecanvasbutcolorizesdirectly.Hefollowshisownrulesfordrawing,andthedirectionofhispaintbrushfollowsthepatternsofhisthoughts;hisnextstepsarealwaysunpredictable.Hedrawscircuitouslyandwholeheartedlyandwiththeobsessionanartistpaystoacareerofcreation.Hefullyplaystheroleofacreatorandcreatesaworldasclearasacrystalball,throughwhichwecanseehisfantasticmagicandlifeexperiences.
Xiongyihasbeeninterestedinpaintingfromayoungageandwasscribblingonpaper,wallsandevenglasswhenhewasthreeorfouryearsold.Ataroundseven,hisparentsmovedtoBeijingandtherehecontinuedhisdreamofpainting.Boththerentedapartmentandhisfather'sofficebecamehisstudio.Passionateaboutart,heputallhisenergyandtimeintopainting.Xiongyiimmersedhimselfinhisimaginationandfeltindifferentaboutreallife,whichhasresultedintheextraordinaryinnocenceofhispaintingsandlimitedinteractionwiththeworldoutside.Asachildhewasslowinspeechandcommunicationwithotherscausedhimdifficulty.Asaresult,hedislikedspeakingandlockedhimselfinhisownidealisticartworld.Comparedtohispeers,Xiongyiismoreclumsythanclever,moresincerethanvain.Hisinnocentpersonalityhasmadehimconcentratemoreonthefeelingsanddetailsofdailylife.Aflower,atelephone,atoy,atree,acloudorabird…allarepresentedvividly,throughhisdiscoveryofnewpathsandthewayshehighlightstheoriginalityofeverydayobjects.
Becauseofhisuniquetalentinartandhisunhappyexperiencesatschool,Xiongyileftoffstudyaftergraduatingfrommiddleschoolandbegantoabsorbhimselfinhiscreations.Hischaoticchildhoodhasbeentransformedintooneoftranquilityandsimplicity.Hisunderstandingandsupportiveparentshaveprovidedhimwithawarm,lovinghomeandthekindness,patienceandenlightenedattitudesofhispaintingandprivateteachershavetaughthimtomasterhisownextraordinaryabilitiesandenabledhimtotakecontrolofhislife.Thisatmospherehasallowedhimtocreateunderabsolutelyfreeconditions.
Withoutthepressureandangstofenteringsecondaryschool,Xiongyi'simaginationbegantoflourish.Becauseheisunabletoexpresshisabundantideasandthoughtsfluently,heresortstopainting.Hecarefullydetailshissimpleandhappylifeandpayslittleattentiontoothers'viewsandwhetherhisworkissimilarinform.Hecantranslateamaster'sworkintohisownstyleandexposeunusualbutwonderfulthinkinginnormalpainting.Heabsolutelyinsistsonhisbeliefinartandisseldomaffectedbyoutsideinfluences.Hedrawsalmostbyfeelingsohecan'texplaintheintentionsandpurposebehindhiscreations.ForXiongyi,paintingisanaturalwaytoexposetheemotions,fromchildhoodtooldage.Heneverpainstakinglycreatesanythingandhispaintingprocesscanbefrighteninginitslackofpredictability,yetthecompletedworkissurprisinglybrilliant.
SimilartotheshortpoemXiongyilikesthemost,he'sneitherthesunnorthemoonandhasnointentiontocompetewiththem,butinhissmallandtidyworldheishappierthananyoneelse.Inthiseraofthrivingartmarkets,brightstars,promisingelites,debatingartforumsandtenseauctionsales,ayoungmanwhostaysathometodrawsilentlyisrarelynoticed.Hehaslittleworldlywisdomandisnoteagerforfame.Hefindshimselfatthecentreofahurricaneandstayscalm,regardlessofthegreatchangessurroundinghim.Comparedtomanymodernartists,hisperseveranceandconcentrationontheidealissimilarto20thcenturyartistssuchasVanGoghwhofoughtagainstdestiny,GauguinwhoabandonedhisbelongingstoliveinseclusiononasmallSouthPacificislandorCezannewhoseldomwentoutandhadfewfriends.Theseartistscaredaboutlittlebutlivingfortheirart.
Inthiseraofglaringartstars,whenwesetasideanxieties,andambitions,wecanfindapurelandwhereaninnocentandunassumingartisthasmadefantasticworksthatsurpriseus.Wesaythatnotbecausewewanttotakepartinastar-producingcampaignnordowewanttomakeanyirrelevantexplanations,buttointroducethewonderofatrulygiftedartist.MaybeXiongyiisjustatinyfireflynow,buthehasbegunusinghisbrilliancetoilluminatehisfutureandhisstoriesthatleadusintohisworldofart.