From 24th February to 3rd July, Artspace K will be presenting “ROADMAP – Sculpture by Liu Yang Solo”. The exhibition invites acclaimed contemporary artist Liu Yang, showing 23 small- medium scale bronze sculptures. “Sculpture is not as explosive as other art forms. Even so, it can be enduring, Becoming part of your life. When you are away from it, you will find that Something is missing in your life.”
—Liu Yang
As one of the most active Chinese contemporary sculpture artists in the world, Liu Yang is also a sculptor on the road. During college (1991-1994), Liu once learned from the sculpture teacher in the studio, starting from basic skills such as collecting and mixing clays and mold making. Inspired by his passion for sculpting, Liu began to carve on his own. In 2010, being invited to participate in a symposium in Korea for the first time, the world got to know the sculptor with unique style. After that, he travelled worldwide to join various countries’ sculpture symposiums, create sculptures, as well as sharing art and culture. Liu Yang’s works span five continents, leaving 76 sculptures in 34 countries and regions, including India, Turkey, Russia, France, Italy, Australia and Brazil. Some of the sculptures have become permanent local cultural heritage that contain the cities’ cultural, spiritual, and aesthetic significance. In 2012, Liu established the International Sculpture Symposium Alliance (ISSA), aiming to promote sculpture creation and cultural interchange internationally. ISSA has become the most influential sculpture organization globally, whose branches are in more than 40 countries.
Liu Yang uses his hands, tools, and materials to create sculptures filled with local cultural customs, resonating with the viewers. Liu stated: “When I create sculptures in one place, I find that local children play in the shadow of my works. They grow with the sculptures. One day, these children may leave their hometown. When they return, everything may look different except those three-dimensional figures.
Sculptures last, they are where the heart and childhood of people lie.” Through sculpture creation, Liu shows the distinctive landscape of the local scenery. These sculptures are city landmarks as well as carriers of emotion. They are, as Liu perceives, the best memories of the life that he can offer to the local residents. Exhibition curator Lee Yu-Han said, against the backdrop of “Snow Baby”, a permanent display public sculpture at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics symbolizing friendship and the spirit of athletes, “ROADMAP: Sculptures by Liu Yang Solo Exhibition” presents bronze sculptures from his “Creatures and Geometry” series with a childlike touch to depict the interactions and emotions between people and the land.
Applying bold and unrestrained postures to express happiness and warmth, Liu’s sculptures manage to present creatures and geometry with exaggerated proportions, amusing modellings and a minimal yet powerful expression, offering space for vivid imagination and storytelling. Among the exhibits, “Under the Tree”, “Classmates” and “Say Hello” depict love for family, friends and hometown, conveying Liu’s idea for the strong nature of relationships, whereas “Swan Lake” and “Sleeping Beauty” are inspired by ballet, showing movement in geometric shapes. In the “ROADMAP” exhibition, some exhibits were created also in a large-scale form that were permanently collected and displayed by various countries. This time, we will specially present the images of his large-scale sculptures from various parts of the world, inviting audiences to join Liu Yang’s global creation journey. We hope this exhibition will remind audiences of the sculptures that represent their own native homes.
Sculpture art develops rapidly worldwide, becoming part of cities and people’s lives. During the exhibition period, Artspace K will also hold related lectures (see appendix) to help viewers develop a more profound insight into sculptures and public art development.
Date: 24 February – 3 July 2022
Opening: 23 February 2022 (Wed) 2:00-3:30 pm
Venue: Artspace K, G105 – 106, The Repulse Bay Arcade, 109 Repulse Bay Road, Hong Kong Artist: Liu Yang
Liu Yang
Born in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province in China in 1972. Liu Yang graduated from the School of Food and Science in Northeast Agricultural University in 1995 and worked as trainee in a sculpture studio. Starting from 1997, he had served as editor, reporter, and deputy director in the chief editor’s office in Heilongjiang Morning Post. Since 2002, Liu had taken the positions of director, coordinator and production designer of TV programmes at China Central Television (CCTV). He continued to host TV and radio shows, acted as a commentator and won many awards in fashion and design competitions.
To become a sculptor has always been Liu’s dream. From 1999, his sculptures have received numerous awards and exhibited on both national and international platforms. He began his journey of art in sculpture in 2010, earning his first sculpture symposium experience. Blessed with his diverse photography experience, Liu yearned for independent sculpture creation. He travelled across countries to pursue his dream of being an artist and curator of international sculpture exhibitions.
In 2012, Liu established the International Sculpture Symposium Alliance (ISSA). In the position of the general secretary, he participated in seminars and lectures worldwide to propel sculpture creation. Until now, his works are spread over 5 continents and 34 countries with 76 large scale public sculptures. One of his famous works “Power from Self” was gifted to the county government of San Diego in Chile, and meanwhile received the Certificate of Honor of the Cities of Montenegro, alongside with Dejan Savicevic, an Associazione Calcio Milan soccer player. His works are installed in remarkable landmarks, such as Beijing Olympic Winter Park, MUSE in Trento, Italy, Zermatt in the Swiss Alps, Pamukkale in Turkey, riverside of the Nile River in Egypt and the Southern Branch of National Palace in Taiwan as well as other notable locations.
