Education

Liu Shiming’s Art and its Expressive Nature Discussed in Panel Discussion

NY Weekly Staff

April 20, 2023
5:45 pm

(Dream to Fly, Liu Shiming, Bronze,1982, permanently display at Macaulay Honors College)

On April 11th, the Liu Shiming Art Foundation and the Macaulay Honors College hosted a panel discussion to explore the impact of Liu Shiming’s sculptures on students and the community. The experts in art and education discussed the significance of Liu Shiming’s art, and how his work has touched people of all ages and backgrounds.

The discussion began with a welcome address from Dr. Dara N. Byrne, Dean of Macaulay Honors College. She emphasized the importance of a public-private partnership and how it can ensure that students have hands-on experiences before graduating. As the first Liu Shiming Scholar from Macaulay Honors College, Angela Goh ’23 is a testament to the impact of scholarships on college students.

Fran Kaufman discussed the exhibition of Liu Shiming’s sculpture exhibition that she curated at Gallery RIVAA (Roosevelt Island Visual Arts Association) in the summer of 2022, titled Sculpting the Chinese Spirit: Vitality in Stillness. She selected works that touched on modernist sensibilities as well as traditions. Hofmann explained that the goal was to showcase works that were relatable and universal in spirit, with the aim of engaging the Roosevelt Island community.

Louise Weinberg is the co-director, director of Exhibitions/Collections, and curator of the Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College. Reflecting on her curation of the exhibition PASSAGES: Sculpture by Liu Shiming, she expressed how Liu Shiming’s art reflected the changes he went through in life and how his exposure to different aspects of life influenced his work. Weinberg was particularly struck by the way Liu Shiming portrayed people working and laboring, calling those portraits “so strong and resonant.” She singled out one piece of the artwork called “Man with a Boat and Cormorants”. Weinberg noted that the piece is forceful yet abstract and that it showcases Liu Shiming’s passion for humanity and deep knowledge of art history. Weinberg also admired how Liu Shiming’s art touched on all generations, with sections dedicated to children and families as well as nature. She particularly noted Liu Shiming’s ability to express playfulness in his pieces on children and families, and how he drew inspiration from ancient pieces of animals and the natural world.

Sin-ying Ho is an associate professor at Queens College who teaches ceramics art. Being of Chinese descent, she finds inspiration in the timeless works of the artist Liu Shiming, whose expressive and lively pieces go beyond just technique. She emphasizes the importance of touch and how Liu manipulates clay to express emotions and capture moments in time. Ho encourages her students to use ceramics as part of their creative process and to imagine and visualize their work before putting it down on paper or canvas, in order to tap into their emotions and capture the essence of a moment, just like Liu Shiming.

(Panelists: Sin-ying Ho, Fran Kaufman, Maria Cristina Pio, Louise Weinberg, Angela Goh ’23)

From portraying people working and laboring to capturing the essence of a moment in clay, Liu Shiming’s art was appreciated for its passion for humanity, deep knowledge of art history, and expressive nature. Ultimately, the event highlighted the power of art to bring people together and create lasting connections across communities and generations.

About The Liu Shiming Art Foundation

Established in 2021, the Liu Shiming Art Foundation is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of renowned Chinese artist Liu Shiming while promoting global dialogue on arts, history, and culture. Striving to empower art students and up-and-coming artists, the Foundation encourages exploration of diverse art forms and comprehensive study of multicultural art history, with a particular focus on fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for Asian art within a worldwide context. Embracing the blending of Eastern and Western perspectives that was integral to Liu Shiming’s artistic identity, the Foundation fosters an inclusive environment, reminding artists of their potential to create timeless and transcendent works of art that surpass geographic or cultural boundaries.

About Liu Shiming:

Liu Shiming (1926-2010) was a celebrated Chinese sculptor whose influential works left an indelible mark on the evolution of modern Chinese sculpture. Born in 1926, Shiming studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and gained international acclaim for his work “Measuring Land” as early as 1950. He continued to create large-scale, publicly displayed sculptures throughout his career. During the 1960s, Shiming lived in the rural areas of Henan and Hebei provinces, where he developed a profound appreciation for the working class and rural life. This experience, along with exposure to folk art in local museums, inspired him to depict everyday scenes in his sculptures. Today, Shiming is renowned for his ability to gracefully capture ordinary moments and skillfully blend folk traditions with modern sensibilities.

The works of Liu Shiming have been showcased in esteemed galleries and venues around the world, including Beijing, Washington D.C., and a notable exhibition in the main atrium of the Oculus in New York City. In 2018, the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing founded the Liu Shiming Sculpture Museum, dedicated to examining and understanding Liu’s art and its historical importance. For a more in-depth exploration of the fascinating story behind Liu Shiming’s masterpiece, “Dream to Fly,” view the documentary titled “Dream to Fly – Story behind Liu Shiming’s Masterpiece.”