Liu Qinghe
Liu Qinghe’s Terms of Endearment: Tally Beck
Bao Bei Er literally means “precious shell” and refers to the ancient Chinese practice of using cowry shells as currency. In modern Chinese parlance, it has become a term of endearment reserved for children and loved ones. Liu Qinghe’s choice of title effectively forecasts the tenderness and emotion that his delicate ink wash paintings evoke.
Liu was inspired to address this theme after seeing media images of children in the countryside that spotlight rural poverty and seek to shock the urban population, inspiring donations. He was also aware of the practice among urban children of donating their pocket money directly to rural families. Noting that the media concentrated on a few images of select children in the countryside and that this presentation was too myopic, Liu sought to extrapolate on this imagery as well as portray the sociological connection between the urban and rural children.
The series of paintings is formally cohesive, yet each is autonomous. Far from being portraits, Liu paints them from his imagination. He gives them attitudes and attributes that comment on their situations. The mischievous boy from the countryside wears a sleeveless T-shirt, a PLA cap and no pants. He wields a slingshot, and his eye narrows to focus on a target. In sharp contrast, a city girl stands primly and sports a colourful, frilly outfit. Her wide eyes suggest naiveté. Liu’s portrayals comment on socialisation with Rousseauesque romanticism: the partially nude but cunning rural boy is free and unfettered by societal restraints while the urban girl, encased in superfluous artifice, seems to be deprived of a carefree childhood.
Liu was executing these works when the catastrophic earthquake struck Sichuan Province in May 2008, and this tragedy affected his engagement with his subject matter. Some of the works had already been completed (such as the boy with the slingshot), but Liu embarked on many of the works with knowledge of the earthquake orphans fresh in his mind. These pieces illustrate the seismographic nature of Liu’s ink wash paintings. There is a palpable sense of pathos in his depictions—particularly in the infants.
When explaining his choice of subjects, Liu emphasised his intrigue with the notion of predetermined destiny. While all children are the same, their futures seem laid out depending on where they are born. He does not allow this predetermination to add static elements to his depictions. Whether presenting adults or children, his subjects always seem to be in transition. The energy he imbues in the character defies a sense of permanence. In these youthful subjects, Liu augments this vibrancy with a brighter palette than he uses in his images of adults. He continues to measure and restrain his use of colour, but the saturated yellows and lively reds and pinks suggest a sense of optimism unseen in his images of more mature subjects.
It may have seemed that the power of Liu Qinghe’s work lay in its monumentality in many of his previous paintings, but we see in this recent series that the awesomeness of his imagery lies in its intimacy. His virtuosity in the ink wash medium allows intense expressiveness; he creates a kind of impressionism with psychological intensity. As he explores the characters of children of different backgrounds, he evokes our sympathy and underscores the universality of human experience.
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1961 |
Born in Tianjin City |
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1981 |
Graduated from the Tianjin School of Arts and Crafts |
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1987 |
Graduated from the Folk Art Dept., Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), Beijing |
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1989 |
Graduated with Masters Degree from the Chinese Painting Dept., CAFA |
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Residency at the Royal Academy of Fine Art (RAFA) studio in Madrid, Spain |
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Present: |
Vice Professor, Chinese Painting Dept., CAFA |
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Solo Exhibitions
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2019 |
See You See Me, Tan Guobin Contemporary Art Museum, Hunan |
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2018 |
Into Ashes, United Art Museum, Wuhan |
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2017 |
The Time of The Year, Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, Beijing |
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2015 |
Traffic Controls, Meilun Art Museum, Hunan |
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2013 |
Sunflower, Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing |
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2012 |
Floating, The Opposite House, Beijing |
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2011 |
AGE, K Gallery, Chengdu |
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Switching Lanes, Red Gate Gallery |
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Somebody Up There Likes Me – Recent Ink Painting, Nantong Central Art Museum, Nantong |
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2010 |
Throbbing, Red Gate Gallery |
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2009 |
Liu Qinghe, He Xiangning Art Museum |
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2008 |
Bao Bei Er, Red Gate Gallery |
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2007 |
Liu Qinghe, Beijing Today Art Museum, Beijng |
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Beyond the Bank, National Art Museum of China, Beijing |
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2006 |
Liu Qinghe, Dong San Bang Gallery, Korea |
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2004 |
River – Scape, Red Gate Gallery |
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2003 |
Wind Blowing on the Water, Red Gate Gallery |
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2000 |
On the Border, Red Gate Gallery |
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Liu Qinghe, Luoyang Museum |
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1999 |
Wind - Night, Red Gate Gallery |
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1998 |
The Shore, Red Gate Gallery |
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1997 |
Walk in the Clouds, Red Gate Gallery |
1996 |
Guangzhou Gate Salon |
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Feelings, Red Gate Gallery |
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1995 |
Ink and Wash Paintings, Shenzhen Art Museum |
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1994 |
Recent Paintings, Red Gate Gallery |
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Liu Qinghe, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing |
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1993 |
Chinese Ink and Wash Paintings, RAFA, Madrid |
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Liu Qinghe, Sephira Galeria, Madrid |
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Group Exhibitions
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2019 |
Sprouting in Spring and Growing in Summer, Yimei Art Museum, Beijing |
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Experimental Chinese Ink Painting, Art Gallery of Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing |
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Opposite Attraction, Red Gate Gallery |
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Works by Chen Shuxia and Liu Qinghe, Trealm Art Space, Guangzhou |
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The Power of Academy, Soka Art Centre, Beijing |
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Immerse·Overflow – Liu Qinghe and Chen Shuxia, Soka Art Centre, Taipei |
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14th Curitiba International Biennial of Contemporary Art, Museu Municipal de Arte, Curitiba, Brazil |
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Embracing the Orient and Occident – 2nd Chinese Contemporary Art, Cleveland State University Museum, USA |
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2018 |
Works of Fine Arts in the New Era, The Times Museum, Beijing |
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Ink: Chinese Contemporary Ink and Wash, Kunsthalle Goppingen, Germany |
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2017 |
Red Gate on the Move, Red Gate Gallery |
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Clothes Along the Silk Road, Art Center of Imperial Ancestral Temple, Beijing |
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Discordant Harmony, Inside-out Art Museum, Beijing |
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2nd Shenzhen Beinnale of Contemporary Art – City as Museum, OCT, Shenzhen |
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Tracing the Past and Shaping the Future, Powerlong Museum, Shanghai |
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More than 10 Feasibilities of Ink, Luxehills Art Museum |
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2016 |
Stories of the Life – Chinese Contemporary Art, China Cultural Centre in Sydney, Australia |
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My Living Room 25th Anniversary, Red Gate Gallery |
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2015 |
SHUIMO Meet Revolution The New Silk Road, Minsheng Art Museum, Beijing |
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2014 |
Dimensions of Concerns – Contemporary Ink Painting of Six Artists, National Art Museum of China, Beijing |
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West Says East Says – Chinese Contemporary Art Research Exhibition, United Art Museum, Wuhan |
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Reshuffling the Past – China Contemporary Ink Art Tour, USA |
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2013 |
Washing Painting New Dimension - 2013 Critics Nomination, National Art Museum of China, Beijing |
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Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Ink and Wash Painting 2000 - 2012, Today Art Museum, Beijing |
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Origin of Dao - New Conception of Chinese Contemporary Art, Hong Kong Museum of Art |
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Illusion/Image - Contemporary Chinese Ink Art Series I, Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing |
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Portrait of the Time - 30 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art, Power Station of Art, Shanghai |
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Spectacle Reconstruction - Chinese Contemporary Art, Debrecen MODEM, Hungary |
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2012 |
Two Generations - 20 Years of Chinese Contemporary Art Australian Tour: City of Sydney Chinese New Year; Manning Regional Gallery; Damien Minton Gallery; University of Newcastle Gallery; Melbourne International Fine Arts (MiFA); Linton & Kay, Perth |
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2011 |
20 Years - Two Generations of Artists at Red Gate, island6 Art Center, Shanghai |
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20 Years - Two Generations of Artists at Red Gate, Red Gate Gallery |
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2009 |
Matrix of Four Gates – Traditional Lineage Contemporary Inkwash, Today Art Museum |
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2008 |
Red Gate Stars, Red Gate Gallery |
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Visual Dialogue – Exhibition of Chinese Oil Painting, National Art Museum of China |
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China – Facing Realism, Chinese Contemporary Art, National Art Museum of China |
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Beijing International Art Biennale, National Art Museum of China |
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Transforming Marks of Ink, Berlin Asian Art Museum, Berlin |
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No Ink – Chinese Contemporary Inkwash, Today Art Museum |
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Li Jin, Liu Qinghe and Wu Yi, Denmark Art Center, Beijing |
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Side by Side – Liu Qinghe and Li Jin, Morono Kiang Gallery, Los Angeles |
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2007 |
Contemporary Cultural Venation – China Version, Beijing Today Art Museum |
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2006 |
Contemporary Imagination, China Millennium Monument Art Museum, Beijing |
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60 Sigh, Today Art Museum, Beijing |
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Life, Yanhuang Art Museum, Beijing |
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2005 |
Contemporary Chinese Art, Mexico |
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2004 |
Oriental Space – 20th Century Chinese Paintings, Paris |
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Excellent Artists Nomination, Today Art Museum, Beijing |
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Chinese Cotemporary Ink and Wash, National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) |
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Chinese Contemporary Famous Artist, NAMOC |
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19th Asia International, Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan |
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Ink and Wash Figure Paintings in New Reality, Shanghai Art Museum |
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1st Fine Arts Documentary Nomination, Hubei Institute of Fine Arts |
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Nanjing Ink Painting Media Triennial, Jiangsu Art Museum |
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2003 |
New Freehand Chinese Ink – Paintings by Invited Artists, Beijing Yanhuang Art Museum, Yi Shu Lang Art Gallery, Singapore; Europe |
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New Generation and Post – Revolution, China Blue Gallery, Beijing |
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An Opening Era – 40th Anniversary of the Founding of NAGC, NAGC |
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Chinese Art Today, China Millennium Monument Art Museum |
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1st Beijing International Art Biennale, NAGC |
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Dot, Radiation and Penetration –Visual Expressions through Paper and Ink, Malaysia Art Museum, Guangdong Art Museum |
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Chinese Contemporary Art, Seoul |
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2002 |
Artists Across the Straits, Taiwan National Art Gallery, Taipei |
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China - Korea Artists, Seoul Sejong Art Museum; Suwon University Gallery |
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Artists’ Home Art Gallery, Vienna |
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Sketches and Drawings, Tuancheng Gallery, Beijing |
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Urban Creation, Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Art Gallery |
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3rd International Ink Painting Biennale, Guan Shanyue Gallery, Shenzhen |
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2001 |
The Distinct Color of Ink, China Contemporary Ink Paintings, NAGC |
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Extending the Ink, China Contemporary Ink Paintings, NAGC |
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1st National Ink Paintings Invitational Exhibition, Dalian |
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Clues to the Future – Red Gate Gallery’s 10th Anniversary |
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Living, Hamburger Bahnhoff, Berlin |
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Paper / Ink, National Gallery of Korea, Seoul |
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100 Years of Chinese Painting, NAGC |
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Experimental Ink and Wash, Guangdong Art Musuem |
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2000 |
Gate of the Century, 1979 - 1999 Chinese Art Invitational, Chinese Contemporary Art Museum, Chengdu |
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New Chinese Painting, Shanghai |
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2nd International Ink and Wash Biennale, Shenzhen |
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Shanghai Art Museum’s Collection, Shanghai |
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Between the Lines, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney |
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1999 |
Urban Yearnings: Portraits of Contemporary China by Liu Qinghe, Su Xinping and Zhang Yajie, Chinese Cultural Center, San Francisco |
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Chinese Ink & Wash Portraits, NAGC |
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The Tree of Life, Qing Ping Gallery, Boston |
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A Collection of Contemporary Experimental Ink / Wash Drawings, Guangdong Art Museum, Shenzhen Art Museum |
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Asian Art, Seoul |
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Contemporary China, Berlin |
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9th National Fine Arts Exhibition, Guangdong |
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Retake: A Selection Reviewing Red Gate Artists’ Signature Works, |
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Red Gate Gallery |
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Chinese Watercolors by Teachers of CAFA, NAGC |
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1997 |
Guangzhou International Invitational Art Fair, Guangzhou |
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‘97 Chinese Contemporary Art Invitational Fair, Shanghai |
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Works by Famous Contemporary Chinese Artists, Zhuhai |
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National Exhibition - Trends in Chinese Ink Painting, NAGC |
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Figurative Chinese Painting, Gallery of International Art Palace, Beijing |
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1994 |
8th National Fine Arts Exhibition, NAGC |
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1993 |
1st National Exhibition of Chinese Painting, NAGC |
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1992 |
20th Century - China, NAGC |
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1991 |
New Generation Art, History Museum, Beijing |
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1990 |
Chinese Figure Painting, Chinese Painting Research Institute, Beijing |
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Chinese Painting, Sino-Japanese Exchange Center, Beijing |
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1988 |
Four Painters, CAFA |
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1985 |
Academy Show, CAFA |
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1981 |
2nd National Exhibition of Young Artists, NAGC |
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Awards |
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1994 |
Gold Prize of Beijing, 8th National Fine Arts Exhibition |
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1985 |
Second Prize, Academy Show, CAFA |
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1981 |
Second Prize, 2nd Tianjin Youth Exhibition |
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Collections
USC Pacific Asia Museum, La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, BHP Beijing; Australian Embassy, Beijing; Beijing Traditional Chinese Painting Research Institute; Shenzhen Art Museum; Guangdong Art Museum; Shanghai Art Museum; China Art Museum; Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Spain; Sephira Galeria, Spain; numerous private collections.
My recent work is about a return to nature, which takes the form of a couple of fruit trees or a mountain. I feel that only by being in nature will one feel extremely peaceful; where one can find a serenity that emanates from the inner self. It is a place free of slogans and there is nothing to fathom. By returning to this boundless inner sanctum, one can access a life force. Perhaps it is just that for me? I feel closer to myself as I channel this internal energy into my painting.
Liu Qinghe
