|
Indepth Arts News:
"Beyond the Essence of Humanity: Solo-Exhibition by Li Wei"
2001-08-08 until 2001-08-16
Art Scene China
Hong Kong, ,
CN China
Born in 1968 in Huai Nan City, An Hui Province, Li Wei studied at The Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing between 1989 and 1990, and graduated from the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts in 1994. Both are among the top, most well-respected art institutes in China. Li Wei participated in Art Scene China's successful Angels and Oddballs exhibition last year.
Li Wei's work gives form and purpose to arbitrary scraps of 'waste.' The form in Li Wei's paintings may appear haphazard, but it is the work of a careful craftsman. It is so well-painted that some people who look at photos of Li’s work wonder if they are sculptures or paintings. “The form in my paintings is well-planned and follows my own desires. A slight crack on the wall, some rusty spots on a piece of metal... these things give me inspiration. Nature encircles us limitlessly and endlessly, so one does not need to rack one’s brain to be creative.”
Li Wei's love of nature has instilled in him a type of environmental consciousness and a respectful attitude towards everything around him (which may also be why he is a vegetarian). I deeply love nature. I not only value it, but also respect it. The objects in my recent artworks include all the things we call 'garbage'... scrap iron and bronze, withered branches and dead leaves, broken bricks and tiles, pieces of paper, cloth and so on…The work show one’s respect and values – material, cultural and mental. The main motivation behind my paintings is to see beyond the essence of humanity and nature with a real, deep, comprehensive and responsible eye.
IMAGE:
Li Wei
Violinist, 1998
Oil on canvas
(150cm x 100cm)
(59.1 x 39.4 inches)
Related Links:
| | 
|
