Galleries
Nu Yishu Series IV
Nu Yishu Series IV: Nu Red
at Imagine Gallery
From March 8 to June 5 2009
Introduction
Nu Yishu is an ongoing series of separate but interconnected art exhibitions aimed at creating transglobal links. The impetus behind 'nu yishu' (Mandarin for female art) is the development of cultural exchange between Australian and Chinese artists.
In 2005 Imagine Gallery in Beijing hosted the first of the series with installations of mixed media paintings and bronze work.The second and third exhibitions were held in China and Australian capitol Canberra.
The 'Nu Yishu' series based in Australia and China has the ability to enhance both cultures whilst broadening connections with female artists across the world. International Women's Day on Sunday 8th March 2009 will be celebrated with the Opening of 'Nu Yishu Series IV: Nu Red'. Imagine Gallery will again host the fourth exhibition organized through curators Laetitia Gauden and Denise Keele-bedford.
Invited to participate are Chinese, Japanese and Australian female installation and performance artists. The event will truly be international having French, Japanese, Australian, Hong-Kong and Chinese connections.The theme of the installation, performance exhibition is based on the artists' response to red (hong).
RED
There are many words to describe visual, emotional and theoretical responses to red.Think it, feel it, taste, hear it, see it. It is the color of warmth, fire, the color of energy, flames, the color of passion, burning.
'For many cultures red is both death and life - a beautiful and terrible paradox. In our modern language of metaphors, red is anger, it is fire, it is the stormy feelings of the heart, it is love, it is the god of war, and it is power.' Finlay, Victoria. Color: Travels Through the Paintbox, London, Hodder & Stoughton, 2002,p. 157
Artists
Participating artists are professional in their art practice with qualifications including Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Doctor of Fine Art. Although each artist's concept is diverse, demonstrating individuality, a commonality through color, exceptional quality, sensitivity to theme and exemplary professionalism, links them to produce an exhibition of outstanding significance, enhancing the 2009 International Women's Day global events.
Tao Ai Min (China)
Lucille Yuk Yin Lo (China, H-K)
Evelyna Liang Kan (China, H-K)
Megumi Shimuzi (Japan, currently living in Beijing)
Denise Keele-bedford (Australia, currently living between China and Australia)
Dr. Geoff Raby, Australian Ambassador in Beijing with artists Megumi Shimizu, Lucille Yuk Yin Lo and Evelyna Liang Kan.
"This exhibition is the culmination of an ongoing process of cultural exhange and cross fertilisation between Australian and Chinese artists that has been continuing over the past three decades. Australia's unique cultural diversity and dynamic landscape has provided fertile inspiration for many Chines artists, and similarly, Australian artists are inspired by China's rich artistic traditions and vibrant culture. The extraordinary results of this cultural exhange have continued to fascinate art-lovers and collectors worldwide, and this series of Nu yishu exhibitions is a testament to this fruitful relationship.
Dr. Geoff Raby, Australian Ambassador in Beijing officially opens the Nu Yishu exhibition. "Both Australia and China have a long history of supporting women's rights, and firmly believe in equal opportunity and rights for all women. Australia places great importance on International Women's Day as an opportunity to celebrate the progress that has already been achieved, and to raise community awareness of what still needs to be done."With artists, Megumi Shimizu (Japan), Lucille Yuk Yin Lo (Hong Kong) and Evelyna Liang Kan (Hong Kong) and Tao Aimin (China).
NU YISHU ARTISTS
Denise Keele-bedfordMegumi ShimizuLucille Yik Yin LoEvelyna Liang KanSong Ruyi (Guest Speaker)Tao Aimin
Megumi and her artwork after the performance.
Lucille Yuk Yin Lo (DFA) Lucille Yuk Yin Lo began her art career working in contemporary Chinese paintings. Today, her work focuses mainly on the social consciousness and phenomena in contemporary Hong Kong, employing diverse media such as oil, acrylic and Chinese ink. Recently, she is awarded the Doctorate in Fine Art from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University.
Lucille Yuk Yin Lo explores aspects of Hong Kong's contemporary social climate. Her particular focus is on the shift in life philosophies and social consciousness since the handover of Hong Kong to main land China. To express these concerns, she merges cross-cultural contextual symbols and formats, fused Chinese philosophies with both English and Chinese textual references to create an association between 'the foreign' and the 'the local'.
Lucille Yuk Yin Lo
Concept and Statement
Presently, Lucille Yuk Yin Lo is exploring aspects of Hong Kong's contemporary social climate including society's outlook on wealth, cross-cultural interaction and its historic transition from colonial status to being an integral part of greater China. Particular focus was placed upon the shift in life philosophies and social consciousness since the handover in 1997. The course of Hong Kong's history has created binding Chinese and Western interactions; the aspect of cultural diversity has now become ingrained within the social consciousness. To express these concerns, Lo attempts to merge cross-cultural contextual symbols and formats, fused Chinese philosophies with both English and Chinese textual references or borrowed from a Western artist's sense of spirituality and compositions to create an association between 'the foreign' and 'the local'. Today, more than ten years after its return to China, Hong Kong society is experiencing new shifts in philosophy and civic attitudes. Lo looks into different facets of the city and attempts to depict a representation of Hong Kong's resilient spirit, collective ego, social consciousness, along with the gradual build-up of nationalism and new-found awareness of its own self. Lucille Yuk Yin Lo, 2008
Solo Exhibitions
1989 'Works of Lucille Lo' Raffles Club Art Gallery, Hong Kong
1990 'Lucille Yuk Yin Lo solo' exhibition Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1990 'Works of Lucille Lo' University of British Columbia, Canada
1991 'Works of Lucille Yuk Yin Lo' Galerie Goetz, Basel, Switzerland
1992 'Works of Lucille Yuk Yin Lo' Showcase Gallery, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
2002 'The Number Games' Grotto Fine Art, Hong Kong
2006 'Illusion' Loft 21, Fotan Artists Open Studios 2006, Hong Kong
2008 'Illusion & Reconstruction' Hong Kong
Lucille Yuk Yin Lo (China/Hong Kong)
Evelyna Liang Kan
For many years, this is what I believe
Art is Life and it should be for everybody to enjoy Art should be for the Common people in Common Places Art should be easily accessible and understood by all
regardless of age, gender or race! I also believe in the good nature of mankind, and that all men and women are created equal
Evelyna Liang Kan
For the past 40 years, Evelyna Liang Kan, Artist, Art Educator and Community Art facilitator has been feverishly pushed forward community Art in Hong Kong ,China and Asia.- using Art to help the needy and underprivileged communities. She had founded the 'Art in the Camp' project in the late 80's, bringing all sorts of art activities in the Vietnamese detention Camp, providing proper Art Education for the Vietnamese Camp children, and to enlighten the depressive situation of the prison like camp with arts and color. In the early 90's, Evelyna founded the 'Art in Hospital' in Hong Kong, and brought forward the idea of Art and Health in all communities. Not just the hospital walls been turned into happy and colorful murals, 'Art in Hospital' also organized different levels of therapeutic arts project to bring closer the relationship between health care personnel, social services, staff, patients and artists alike. She then founded 'Art for All' in 2002, a charitable Community Art organization, aiming to use Art to empower all, for a better, harmonious society, to respect oneself and for all.
Evelyna Liang Kan (China/Hong Kong)
Denise Keele-bedford (Australia)
24/7 - take a look
I look around and everywhere there is advertising in some form or another. Massive billboards advertising the latest in shoe fashion, cars, techno gadgets, everything for the consumer to spend their money.In suburban Beijing a ubiquitous advertising board is made from printed vinyl stretched over a framework and illuminated from the inside. I see these along the many narrow streets attached to the sides of buildings and standing on footpaths, their bright red colours prominent during daylight hours and the advertising text lit at night.They advertise the business, its attributes and products, promoting the positive aspects and inviting closer investigation. I am intrigued with the 24/7 concept showing that the advertised is available 24 hours per day 7 days per week, is there no time for rest. When I think of women we are much the same, 24/7 feminine, female with all the attributes of 'the other' human species participating on this earth.
These female advertising boards are not intended to separate you from your hard earned money or to shower you with the latest and best of design and technology. BUT '24/7 - take a look' is celebrating women, advertising their attributes, promoting the positive aspects and inviting closer investigation 24hours per day 7 days per week.
Denise Keele-bedford
Melbourne
2008.07.24
Denise Keele-bedford (Australia)
Master of fine Art - Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Denise uses a variety of materials and objects to create artworks influenced by her own cultural history and her experiences with other cultures.
Her particular interests lay in the historical and contemporary evolution of belief systems, celebrations, rituals and their associated icons.
Denise is represented by Imagine Gallery in Beijing.
24/7 take a look In-situ.As people enter the Feijiacun compound and view along the laneway they see signs on a wall in the distance.
The signs illuminted at night brighten the area which is otherwise subdued and dark. They are inquisitive and approach the light and bright colours of the signs. As they walk close to signs they see several scattered and bunched close together, but what are these unusual advertising ligthboxes. What business or company do they promote. The doors are open and welcome visitors and people realise that the signs say "women are intelligent", "Women are dilligent", "Women's Art", "Women are considerate". These signs promote women, they promote the characteristics of women, they promote women's attributes. They are positive.
Megumi Shimuzi我在高中刚开始学习当代艺术在法国时候，学过欧美洲的现代艺术。后来，2，3年以前在法国看到了Yves Klein的展览。我在日本看过他的作品好几次，但在法国看他的作品是第一次了。这时看他作品的感觉是和以前在日本看他作品时候完全不一样了。这事情让我吃惊了很多。 看展览后，我考虑了这问题。觉得有好多原因混在一起。 我在高中侯，没有认识法国人，没去过法国。没有认识法国。所以，实在没办法了解或感觉到他的作品的灵魂。但这次展览，我在法国而且已经有有些法国朋友们。也对法国的知识比以前多。所以，我看他的作品时候就觉得这作品是真的法国叔叔做的东西。才知道了他作品的好处。 另一个原因是，我用课本学过欧美当代艺术。 在美术馆虽然没有明白他的艺术，但因为我在课本学过这时高级艺术作品所以我应该确认这是好作品，这种感觉了。 我学过日本画，也读过中国画的画论（日语翻译的），在欧美州时努力去看了好多亚洲美术。 我开始学习当代艺术时候，看过很多欧美的东西。但实在有些作品当中的感觉是，在我们生活里没有的东西。实在，我们学习世界美术史当中，最多比例的是欧洲美术史。（我知道以后的美术史可能会有变化）但实在,世界上有好多文化。当代艺术的概念本来是在欧洲美术做出来的概念。所以我的时代时，在欧美州以外文化圈的艺术家们发展过程里，有这些自己文化和当代艺术概念的矛盾和消化。 我看他的作品时候感受到了这些东西很强烈。也感受到了了解文化的时间，成熟。 决定参加这展览侯我开始想有些小问题。（'-'）为什么在中国说'女性艺术'? 没有说'男性艺术'？ （'-'）为什么洗手间的表示，男的是蓝色女的是红色？ （'-'）为什么我学习素描时，最多时间是画画女模特们？ 虽然我们猜到很多回答，但没有一个很对的回答。所以，我决定做行为来表达这些感觉。 用Yve krein的方式来做行为。但颜色和模特是不一样。行为者也不一样。所以，会表达出来别的文化。 材料 音乐'RED'或者打鼓音乐者 红色颜料 画布 男模特（最好是法国男人）2名 行为 在地上放画布，男模特的裸体上放颜料，在布上印裸体。
Megumi Shimuzi
Education
2008 Graduate Master of the Central Academy of Fine Arts Photography class, Beijing China
2004 Advance course of the Central Academy of Fine Arts Photography class, Beijing China
2002 Advance course of the Central Academy of Fine Arts Folk art class, Beijing China
2001 Advance course of China Academy of Fine Arts Chinese painting class, Hangzhou China
1998 An assistant of Kyoto Academy of Fine Arts and Design Chinese painting class, Kyoto Japan
1996 graduated Kyoto Academy of Fine Arts and Design Japanese painting class, Kyoto Japan
Megumi Shimuzi
Art Performances
2008-23, Nov. 'Destroyed Lines'directed by Beat Kuert with 2 performers, Imagine Gallery, Beijing
2008 2, Aug 'The Nighthawk Star (for Chinese river dolphin 'Baiji'1,2 / Performance art festivals / Changsha, China
27,July 'Two-Thirds of Polar Bears extinct in 42 Years as Sea Ice Shrinks-2' / 809 new media art festibal //Hubei, China
22//3, June 'Untitled_Core' / Graduate Master exhibition //Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing, China
14/15, June 'Variations' / produced by Alessandro Rolandi with 2 performers / Egg Gallery, Caochangdi, Beijing, China
8, Mar 'Revenge in the harmony' / 'critical mass' Group exhibition, curated by Laetitia Gauden/ Huan Yuan Art Center, Beijing, China
'Objective and Subjective' / 'critical mass' Group exhibition, curated by Laetitia Gauden / Huan Yuan Art Center, Beijing, China
2007 18, Nov 'Organic Movement-Damantou2' / 'Non Present' Group exhibition Opening/Imagine Gallery, Beijing, China
30, Sep 'Two-thirds of Polar Bears Extinct in 42 years..' / 'Open 8' Performance event/Open Realization Art Space 798, Beijing, China
5, June 'Off-Limit' / 'June Alliance' Performance Camp/Songzhuan, Beijing, China
21, April 'Organic Movement-colored'/'Guyu' Performance event/perform art center, Xian, China
24, March 'Organic Movement-Damantou1'/'MOVE' Performance exhibition Opening/Gallery Geisho at 798, Beijing, China
Megumi Shimuzi
Megumi Shimuzi (Japan/China)
Currently represented by Imagine Gallery - Beijing
TAO AIMIN (China)
Education
1999 B.A. Department of Art, Huaqiao University of Fujian
2001 Advanced Studies, Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing2000-2007
Lives and works in Beijing
Solo Exhibitions
2006 'A Woman's Long March' in Long March Space 798 Art District Beijing China
2001 'Tao Aimin Solo Exhibition' Central Academy of Fine Art Gallery, Beijing China
Tao Aimin
Selected Group Exhibitions
2008 'Have Inhand, Feminism' in Mu Zhen Liao Art Museum ,798 Art District, Beijing, China
'Long March Capital - Visual Economy' Long March Space 798 Art District, Beijing, China
2008 '2007 Chinese Contemporary Art Document Exhibition' Qiang Art Museum, Beijing, China 2007
'TRANSFIGURATIONS' Four Artists Exhibition, Sepia International, New York, USA
2007 'Water Ink Painting' department SanDong Art Museum, SanDong China
2007 'Water Ink Painting' department Yanhuang Art Museum, Beijing ,China
2007 'SHE' Nine Women Artists Exhibition, 798Art District 3818 Gallery, Beijing China
2007 'China Under Construction' Contemporary Art from the People's Republic, Deborah Colton Gallery Houston, Texas, USA
2007 'Women Artists Exhibition of Shangyuan 'Yanhuang Art Museum, Beijing, China
'Annular Railway International Art Exhibition' Cool House Art Camp, Annular Railway Art District ，Beijing China
Ruyi Song - featured speaker at opening on 8th March.
RuYi Song , female , birth in 1972 , census register BeijingMailbox:
Mobile phone: 131 266 85718
Blog:
http://blog.sina.com.cn/ruyisong
Education experience
At least five years Landscape architectural experience; Bachelor's degree of Chinese language study and education specialty , Graduate student degree in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design field.
Capital Normal University, Chinese department, Obtains the literature bachelor's degree.
Beijing Forestry University /Botanical garden institute、Graduate School,Urban planning and design specialty, Obtains the engineering course master's degree.
Once obtained the reward
in January, 2007 Obtains the Beijing Plan Committee third session of youths to plan the teacher architect oratorical contest second prize
in November, 2008 Obtains Beijing Science and technology Association to sponsor, eighth session of youth academic oratorical contest second prize,
Publishes the paper
'Beijing's Old city Transformation Should Slowing down Step'Beijing Forestry University journal (society branch version) in March, 2004
'the poetic sentiment mind's East explains------Luis Barragan construction and botanical garden'
designer note------Discusses designer's social function and the information transmission.
The 13th session of capital urban planning architectural design report plan elects up to the Beijing third session of youths to plan the architect oratorical contest to discuss the literary selections (Tianjin University Publishing house) in January, 2008
Work Experience
2006-2007 Executive Director of Architecture Environment Design Institute Landscape &Garden Studio in Academy of Arts & Design,Tsinghua University
2008 Suppport Director of Honest Fame International Art Investment Consultant Co.,LTD
宋 如 意 简 历
个人资料
宋如意，女，1972年出生，户籍北京
移动：131 266 85718
博客：http://blog.sina.com.cn/ruyisong
教育经历：
1990-1994 首都师范大学中文系 获文学学士学位
1998-2003 北京林业大学园林学院、北京林业大学研究生院 城市规划与设计专业 获工科硕士学位
曾获奖励
2007年1月 获得北京市规划委员会第三届青年规划师建筑师演讲比赛二等奖
2008年11月 获得北京市科技协会主办，第八届青年学术演讲比赛 二等奖
发表论文
《北京的旧城改造应放慢步伐》，北京林业大学学报（社科版）2004年3月
《诗意心灵的东方解读------Luis Barragan的建筑与园林》
《设计者笔记------谈设计者的社会职能与信息传达》，第十三届首都城市规划建筑设计汇报方案选暨北京第三届青年规划建筑师演讲比赛论文选（天津大学出版社）2008年1月
Jennifer Fox
Jennifer Fox is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning director, producer, camerawoman, and educator who has been involved in countless documentaries over the last 25 years. Her first film, BEIRUT: THE LAST HOME MOVIE was released theatrically in nine countries and broadcast in 20 countries. It won seven international awards, including Best Documentary Film and Best Cinematography at the 1988 Cinema Du Reel Festival. She directed the groundbreaking ten hour PBS/BBC/ARTE television series AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY, which received a Gracie Award for Best Television Series and was named 'One of the Top Ten Television Series of 1999' by The New York Times and five other major American papers. Her most recent work, the acclaimed, cutting edge, six-part film FLYING: CONFESSIONS OF A FREE WOMAN was made through a unique Danish-American co-production and was funded by the Danish Film Institute, TV-2 Denmark, BBC, ARTE, YLE-1, SBS, SVT, ICON & Humanist Channels Netherlands, and HBO - and was awarded a prestigious Creative Capital Grant. FLYING premiered at the International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA) in 2006 and the Sundance Film Festival in 2007 as Special Events as well as numerous other festivals, and recently completed a 20 city theatrical tour in North America before airing on the Sundance Channel, BBC, TV-2, SVT, and YLE in Summer 2008.
FLYING:CONFESSIONS OF A FREE WOMAN
is an exploration of what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. I traveled around the world for five years asking women (and men) intimate questions about their lives. From NY to India, South Africa to Cambodia, Pakisitan to Russia, I met so many amazing women who shared their personal stories with me, so that I may share them with you.
FLYING: CONFESSIONS OF FREE WOMAN is a six-part film that takes a personal experimental approach to female life in the 21st century. The series narratively and visually interweaves aspects of filmmaker Jennifer Fox's own life over three years - from age 42 to 45 - with the lives of diverse and courageous women from around the globe. In ways that are both humorous and profound, the film searches for new models of femaleness, examining changing gender roles and the efforts of women everywhere to comprehend and define for themselves what it means to be a woman in these times. What are the struggles of women in this era of new sexual and economic freedoms, shifting gender relations, a rise in religious fundamentalism, and AIDS? What have been their journeys to self-definition and self-expression? Are they winning or losing in their own eyes? Have things really changed between men and women? And is there a new model of the female that we can now begin to define?
FLYING takes an experimental narrative approach, employing new innovative techniques that reflect the interactions unique to women. Subjects explore a new way of expression by 'passing the camera' between the so-called filmmaker and the socalled film subject during the filmed conversations. This methodology directly addresses the imbalance of power that so many documentarians struggle with, as famously posited by Susan Sontag in On Photography: 'To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed. It means putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge - and, therefore, like power.' By passing the camera, the traditional idea of the interview is dropped, as roles are rotated at all times to mirror the relationship that women have with each other and their unique, circular way of figuring out their lives through sharing and dialogue.The camera becomes a tool that deepens conversation and intimacy between filmmaker and subject, rather than a tool of separation, objectification, and power. Boundaries are broken; the subject becomes both participant and creator.
FLYING:CONFESSIONS OF A FREE WOMAN
The six-part film will be shown during the period of the exhibition from 8th March to End of April.
Information on the film is available at these websites:
For dates and venues check Imagine Gallery website at: