Writing Between Heaven and Earth
Xu Bing
This solo exhibition presents the shu art of Xu Bing (b. 1955-), the world acclaimed contemporary Chinese artist, from his Tian Shu (Book from the Sky) to Di Shu (Book from the Ground) and Landscape Landscript in between.
The character Shu in ancient Chinese signifies books, written characters, and the act of writing. All these shu related masterpieces demonstrate the art of writing as image. Together they create a Zen-like tranquil space drawing one naturally into an artistic contemplation of the works while cultivating oneself in a serene atmosphere. These thought-provoking works of art will not only challenge the viewers’ preconceptions about written language and cultural identity, they will also invite them to interact with the art.
His interactive educational work, Square Word Calligraphy, involves the creation of a unique writing system that transforms English into Chinese writing. He uses components of Chinese characters to transform an English word into what looks like a Chinese character. The work, created in a classroom setting in this exhibition, is a perfect fusion of eastern and western cultures into one harmony.
This exhibition is designed to serve and educate people of different cultures and nationalities with his art. “My aim is to make an art that truly serves the people.” - Xu Bing
Curated by Professor Lidu Yi.