New Forms of Movement by Liu Zhengyong

LIU ZHENGYONG

LIU ZHENGYONG

FOREWORD JAZZ CHONG DIRECTOR, ODE TO ART

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To evoke guttural emotion is the expressionist’s most hallowed pursuit. Binding their viewers in a metaphysical reflection of self and showing them familiar worlds through a stranger’s eyes, the strokes of expressionist art funnel meaning raw with instinct and yet, fluid with poetic grace. It is believed that a true expressionist is made of emotion, turning subconscious halfthoughts into a splashed palette of words that are felt, not said. And yet, few retain the ability to bring their emotion to throbbing life, with all but blood flowing through veins of portraiture that capture senses only found in life. Yes, Liu Zheng Yong paints images of oil; oil that transforms the canvas into an unyielding visage of humanity, moulding the viewer into its textures until they flow with the depth contained within. It is only a matter of time till you see that these are not just mere portraits—Liu Zheng Yong’s works are flaming retellings of the collective soul.

Born in 1980 in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, China, Liu Zheng Hong graduated from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts in 2004 with a major in oil painting. Armed with textured movement and a vivid sense of colour, Zheng Yong channels the most intrinsic of Chinese sensibilities into a distinctly western medium. Fostered by a culture adorned with history that frequently celebrated subjective and spontaneous expression as the true essence of artistic achievement, his choice of subject only further strengthens his roots and his latent assimilation of the core of eastern aesthetics. However, blended with an alternative

medium, Zheng Yong transcends all familiarity and evolves tradition into a modern retelling— reflective of his own ongoing journey as a young inhabitant of a turbulent world. With human figures and structured anatomy being his most common subjects, Zheng Yong reveals an expressionist fascination with not only the outpouring of emotion, but the physical manifestation of humanity as well. Often featuring raw, almost fleshy shades of red, the evocative images of his subjects lie starkly against vacant backgrounds, showcasing them in an inescapable display of life in all its vigour, aggression and inherent complexity.

Besides striking visuals, Zheng Yong’s technique betrays his age in a mastery of brush and composition. Instilling expression into both colour and stroke, the palpable meaning in his works communicate far beyond the façade of poised perfection, unravelling the quagmire that resides within every being—the source from where all light must emerge. Such conceptual intricacy finds its roots in the artist himself—a man whose composed demeanour leads to a deep intensity, fuming behind informed intelligence and a heightened sense of perceptive awareness.

Being surrounded by the powerful works in their studio was a stirring experience; and now, I invite you to experience the same. Step into a world where colour is language and all meaning is as free and deliberate as the textured stroke of brush. Join us as we observe visions of the collective soul.

CRITIC HÉLÈNE DE MONTGOLFIER

Liu Zhengyong est né en Chine, à Zhuzhou dans la province de Hunan en 1980. Elève à la « Tianjin Art Academy », où il se spécialise dans la peinture à l’huile, il en sort, diplômé en 2004.

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Aussitôt distingué parmi ses pairs, il est choisi pour diffuser l’art contemporain chinois dans le monde occidental. Il appartient désormais à cette « nouvelle vague » qui ébranle, tonifie notre marché et vient le chahuter pour notre grand bonheur.

Liu Zhengyong excelle à faire le portrait de personnages souvent en buste, débarrassés des références qui pourraient les attacher à un contexte particulier, en proie à des sentiments qui les brûlent.

Toujours, le corps brut se détache sur un fond délibérément peu défini qui s’efface au profit d’une force toute concentrée sur une flagrante et saisissante expression d’humanité.

Fougueusement modelé par l’artiste, l’homme nu naît d’une peinture-pâte qui appelle la terre humide pétrie par le sculpteur. Le pinceau pose sa matière en couches successives pour parvenir à une belle épaisseur, palpable, physique, qui exprime avec ferveur le poids très intérieur des sentiments.

Rien de léger chez ces hommes dont l’âme, elle aussi, semble mise à nu.

Et si les toiles suggèrent la gravité de « raw, new spirits struggling to be born »(1) elles n’en sont pas moins incroyablement lumineuses.

Petites et larges touches ponctuent la surface des chairs jusqu’à la faire frémir. Liu Zhengyong du bout de son pinceau, écrase d’un geste vif la couleur despote—parfois aux limites de la peinture pure—qui transformera chaque tache en une parcelle chargée de vie. Le sang, échappé des vaisseaux, s’affiche en maints endroits sur les corps et marque de son sceau les rouges palpitations de l’existence. La lumière ambiante -(parfois verte car filtrée par un proche végétal, parfois nacrée car absorbée par le gris du ciel…) que scandent les reflets sur la peau, irise la surface de la toile et lui donne une vibration singulière. Le contraste des ombres sombres qu’impose la lumière fait vibrer la chair d’un feu secret.

Cette force dans la charge émotionnelle se conjugue à une superbe contemporanéité et donne au langage du jeune Liu Zhengyong une portée universelle.

FA M O U S F R E N C H A R T C R I T I C HÉLÈNE DE MONTGOLFIER

Liu focuses on portraits, most of them featuring sculptured torsos or busts. They possess a wide range of emotions, from frustrations to passion, and each figure can be linked to a distinctive background that is easily recognizable as his unique style. They are immune from reference to others. One is unable to discern any straightforward meaning from Liu’s leaden background and painted bodies that possess seemingly simple contours. The blurry contour of the body emulates a calm strength, one that allows others to feel the expressions of humanity. To obtain sufficient tangible depth of substances, he piously places materials onto layers of the already wet canvas in order to express the weight that is present in the depth of his heart.

Representing the bodies of humanity, his works have depth and exposes themes beyond the naked eye—nothing is as light as one puts it. Every soul, even in the paintings, seems to be found wanting and needing something more. If his works convey the sense of pain and torment that come together with the transformation of one’s

self, then they are also, ironically, representations of sunshines and rays as well. His works rarely denotes singular themes and are usually bifocal and multifaced visions of the human race.

The strokes, small and big, touch surfaces of the flesh until they tremble. Liu, starting from the end of his broad brushes with his specially made pigments, creates vibrant strokes that bring the bodies to life. Critically looking at his works, each area of the body is transformed into unique forms of interpretation. The blood that flows within us, within the bodies of his works can be seen flowing through the different parts of the flesh. These marks are signifiers of how the human skin changes its colours in different conditions. The glory of rendering—sometimes light green, filtered by the nearby green trees or dull colours, absorbed by the grayness of the sky—are reflections on the skin that creates a surreal and dreamy tremor as we see an explosion of ecletic colours. The contrast of dull shades highlight the understated flesh that throbs with glory.

Liu Zheng Yong’s strength in emotional understanding and depth lead to an unparalleled modernity and endow the young man with an artistic language that carries meaning beyond time and place.

L I U Z H E N GYO N G

Liu Zhengyong was born in 1980 in Zhuzhou City of the Hunan Province in China. In 2004, he graduated from the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, majoring in oil painting. Over a brief period of time, he stood out among the rest and was recognized as a prodigy of Chinese modern art in the Western world. From then on, we celebrate his works and for his part in this fickle yet exciting art world.

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法 国 著 名艺术评论 家

HÉLÈNE DE MONTGOLFIER

刘正勇,80年生于中国湖南珠洲,曾就读于天津 美术学院油画专业,毕业于2004年.

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他迅速地脱颖而出,并被选择为在西方世界 弘扬中国当代艺术的一员。从此,我们为他开

始属于这个摇摆动荡却又振奋人心的艺术世界 而振奋。

刘正勇专注于表现人物肖像,而大多是胸像, 从困顿到燃烧的情感,每个人物可以和一个 特别的背景联系起来.弃绝参照而独树一格。

一如即往的是简单自然勾勒的身体突显在坚 定的,无明确意指的背景底上,身体的外轮廓 线被一种沉定的力量擦掉,一切是明确的和

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是不可置信的阳光。或小或大的笔触点就

了肉体的表面,直到让它颤栗。刘正勇从 他的排笔的末端出发,压迫着鲜活的身

态,颜料专制-有时几近于纯色。就这样, 将每一块斑点转化为一小块一小片的鲜

活的生命体。血从脉管流出,呈现于身体 多处,记载着艺术家活在当下的红色

心 悸 的 印 痕 。 渲 染 的 光 辉 - ( 有 时 光 是 绿 色 , 因 为 被 就 近 的 绿 植 过 滤 了 ,

有时光是暗哑的,因为被天空的灰色

吸走了…)数量着在皮肤上的反射,使画 面有了彩虹般的暗示和特别的震颤。 暗沉的阴影的对比衬显了给予低调的 肉体以悸动的光辉。

能够让人感受到的人性的表达。

这种具有情感负荷的力量并发出了一种无

被艺术家狂暴地雕塑成形,人物诞生于成跎

勇一种具有超越时间和地点承载意义的艺

的被雕塑家叫作凝定的潮湿的泥土的颜料。 为了能够达到足够可触的,物质的厚度,虔诚

而笃信地,用排笔一层一层地置放材料,想要表 达的只是内心最深处的重量。

在所有人身上,没有什么是放之就轻的,对于

每个人的灵魂,也一样,在这里好象被剥开来了 一样.

如果他的作品表达了“伤痛-奋发的新的

精神的诞生”的份量感,那么这些作品

于伦比的当代性,而且赋予了年轻的刘正 术语言。

根 茎 — 刘 正 勇 个 展 策 展 人：黄 笃

根茎在植物学概念中常指延长横卧的根状地

不完整或残缺。显然，这是由他的绘画语言所

射状生长，外型似根，同时形成分支四处伸

释放与收敛之间所形成的视觉张力。为了能达

下茎。地下茎会增粗，在地表下呈水平状或辐

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展，先端有芽，节上有侧芽和不定根。如同植 物生长一样，人的思维就是这样一种不断展开

的过程。在思维和神经学之间有一种类似的 特殊联系。大脑组织像杂草一样呈根茎状，是 一种“不确定的系统”。大脑的发展就是在内在 和外在之间不断双向运动的结果。

刘正勇的绘画就如根茎生长一样无拘无束， 呈现自由而奔放的形式。尽管他聚焦于身体 (或胸像，或躯干，或无器官身体），但其目 标并不在于给予其以重新界定，而是清晰展现

了身体语言和感性生命之间建立起的独特联 系。在刘正勇看来，身体概念不是枯燥无味 的、抽象的和封闭的，而是充满温情的、具体 的和开放的。当活生生的身体与人的具体情境 12/62

或心理征候而不是超验本质联系在一起时， 它瞬即生发生命的活力。刘正勇把对身体的想 像和表现看作是对另一种生命感官形式的聚合 和生成。因此，身体是折射人的存在状态的精

神景观。刘正勇在其作品中并不是要反映精 神与肉体关系的哲学命题，而是旨在视觉语言 上揭示其（诸如性别、愉快、焦虑、压抑、欲

望）精神层次。因此，身体在图像政治上或 表现或暗喻了非同寻常的指涉。刘正勇在这

决定的，即承载着自由与控制、残缺与完整、 到画面有足够可触的物质感，刘正勇主观增强 了颜色的厚重感，尤其用排笔刷出一层一层的 颜色，富有节奏的笔触在画面上尽现其肌理和

质感。值得注意的是，他以几乎纯色的黑灰 色调、偶尔涂有少许色彩的方法将身体刻划成

略显“粗野”的雕塑般姿态（或站，或躺，或斜 倚），弥漫着或庄严或哀伤的气息，如此这般 被主观化的身体蕴育着或示意或暗示或隐喻的 内涵，而充满曲折和变化的身体则折射出人的 复杂精神状态——既让人感受到身体的坚强、 震颤和力量，又让人感悟到身体的柔性、悸动 和哀伤。刘正勇的绘画叙事不仅提供了新的认 识维度，而且提示了新的感觉方式。他的绘画 思考的不只是纯粹形式问题，而是与生命意识 和生活体验相关的东西——让绘画永远处于体 验和实验的过程。在这个意义上，他表现的身 体彰显出如容器一样的动态过程，过程有时会 统一化、主体化、或理性化。这些不同过程以 具体（身体符号）的多样性而发挥作用，而多 样性正是以身体可塑性作为驱动力。如此的绘 画过程就是生成过程，具体依赖于线条与色域 的相互交错和内外覆盖，一种不停的展开、交 织、覆盖、再展。

个意义上表现了身体的视觉美感，揭开了身

绘画手工性之所以让画家如此着迷，就在

于图像的完整或完美性，而是恰恰选取图像的

可重复性的状态。刘正勇把画布看作是戏

体的话语秩序。可以说，他的绘画叙事不是基

于它像身体一样永远处在不可预知性和不

剧的舞台，把油画颜料看作是自我生命的 流淌。当颜料经历薄厚、线条与色块交错或 覆盖于画布后，才能显露出它本来的魅力。

如此以来，在画家的绘画中，每一个厚实 的线条或色域都有其自己的生命，经过长 期的积淀，日渐成熟，呈现出其深藏不露的形 式美感。

质，内在与外在之间的独特关系。他将身体带

入这样一种独特的“不确定性”和“无穷尽”的视 线，即把生命与死亡，快乐与痛苦、理性与疯 狂看作是某种神秘而诡异的难以预测之事，就 像他的绘画表现的那样，人的自由意志永远被

L I U Z H E N GYO N G

刘正勇的绘画表达了个人与身体，经验与物

赋予了无限可能——不断僭越，不断变化和不 断跳跃。

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意志之物 The Will of Life, 2015年。 180x160cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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时间之书-一 Book of Time I, 2013年。 260x220cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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时间之书-二 Book of Time II, 2015年。 150x130cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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时间之书-三 Book of Time III, 2013年。 180x150cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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两个神经质青年

The Temperament of Two Youths, 2014年。 150x130cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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知觉 I Cognizance I, 2015年。

150x130cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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锻炼知觉 -一 Cognizance Instilled I, 2014年。 200x150cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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锻炼知觉 -二 Cognizance Instilled II, 2015年。 180x160cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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有机体-二 Entities of the Living II, 2015年。 100x80cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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沉默的人-四 Silence of Man IV, 2014年。 67x56.5cm, 纸上水性颜料 (Pigment on Paper) 知觉-二 Cognizance II, 2015年。 150x135cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

沉默的人-三 Silence of Man III, 2014年。 76x56.5cm, 纸上水性颜料 (Pigment on Paper)

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肖像3纸上作品 Portrait Paper works, 2009年。 20x20cm

纸上008 Paper Works

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纸上003 Paper Works

纸上 Paper Works

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纸上草图 Paperworks

纸上010 Paper Works

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沉默的人-二 Silence of Man II, 2014年。 112x77cm, 纸上水性颜料 (Pigment on Paper)

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根茎 Roots of Man, 2015年。 660x260cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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虚空之地 The Void, 2015年。 120x100cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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表皮-五 Extrinsic V, 2015年。 180x150cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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一个国家的伤痛 Lesions of a Nation, 2012年。 240x210cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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表皮-六 Extrinsic VI, 2015年。 200x180cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

肌理-二 Outer Essence II, 2015年。 100x80cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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意志之物-II The Will of Life II, 2015年。 200x180cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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拳击手 The Boxer, 2011年。 150x130cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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Introspection 2, 2014年。 260x220cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas) 自由产生新身体-二 Freedom to Re-exist II, 2015年。 220x260.5cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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意志的快慰 Delight of Will, 2008年。 300x260cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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伟大的寓言 The Great Fable, 2008年。 240x220cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas) 尘埃物质 Dust and Matter, 2008年。 240x220cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

开到酴醾 The Last Blossom, 2008年。 240x220cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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长空万里 Expanse, 2009年。 220x190cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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蔓延 Spread, 2008年。 220x190cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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苍穹-二 The Firmament II, 2013年。 240x220cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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两块红肉 Tandem, 2010年。 100x100cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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自由产生新身体-三 Freedom to Re-exsist III, 2015年。 200x240cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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微失重一 The Weight of Yielding 1, 2013年。 220x260cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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表皮- 一 Outer Essence I, 2015年。 220x240cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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伸展的人 Reaching Out, 2015年。 180x160cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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面对时间 -四 Facing Time IV, 2013年。 150x130cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

时间森林-二 A Forest of Time II, 2013年。 180x150cm, 布面油画 (Oil on Canvas)

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BIOGRAPHY

Liu Zhengyong was born in the province of Hunan

2013 “Ingrandimento”, a Collateral Event of

A R T FA I R

in 1980. In 2004, he graduated from the department

the 55th Venice Biennale,Global Art Center

2014-2015 Art Paris Art Fair. Grand Palais.

of oil painting at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts.

Foundation. Palazzo Mora Venice italy

France

2013 Unbounded—Artworks by Chinese

2014–2015 Art Cologne. Cologne Germany

根茎个展 北京 法国保罗瓦列里国家美术馆刘正勇个展 威尼斯双年展策展人Karlyn De Jongh 女

Thereafter he started making art professionally, and continues to do so to date.

Contemporary Young Artists Berlin Germany 2011-2014 Lille International Gallery SOLO EXHIBITION

2012 Wind direction— China-Russia Year. Russia

Exposition. Lille France

Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Moscow Russia 2016.1 “New Forms of Movement” Ode To Art, Art Stage. Singapore

2011-2014 Strasbourg international Gallery 2012 Normandy International Film festival.

Exhibition. Strasbourg France L I U Z H E N GYO N G

Normandy France 2015.9 “Rhizoma” Ying Gallery. Beijing China 2011 Lyon Biennale. Lyon France 2014 Liu Zhengyong Solo Exhibition Sete. France 2011 From China's Contemporary Art. 2012 Who's Sky. Beijing 110 Gallery. Beijing China

Montpellier France

2012 Sentinelles. Montpellier France Dock

2010 New Wave of Chinese Contemporary Art

sud Gallery

University of California Museum of Art USA

2011 Lyon Biennale, France Lyon France

2009 Lately History ContemporaryArt Exhibition Royal Art Museum Tours France

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2009 The 1st Chongqing Biennale. Chongqing

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Exhibition Center. Chongqing China 01

2015 China-Korea Youth Artists Exhibition Korean Cultural Center of China. Beijing China

2009 China’s critics nomination exhibition.

Beijing Museum of contemporary art Beijing China

2014 Body and Space (Mao space ShangHai China) 2014–2015 Biennale China-Italia (China BeiJing–Italia) 2014 China Youth Contemporary Art (Asian Museum in Nice, France) 02

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刘正勇简介

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刘正勇个展法国保罗.瓦列里国家美术馆— Liu Zheng Yong's Solo Exhibition 2014 (June 8th) at Musée Paul Valéry, France

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根茎个展。 （颖画廊）

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谁的苍穹个展 中国 栗宪庭2012年（110画廊） Self Portrait in Germany 法国地中海—Studio in Beijing

法国地中海现场。为巴黎大皇宫展览—By the French Mediterranean Sea in preparation for Art Paris 新浪潮展。美国 2010年—Liu Zheng Yong in New Wave of Chinese Contemporary Art (University of California Museum of Art USA) in 2010

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L I U Z H E N GYO N G

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NEW FORMS OF MOVEMENT L I U Z H E N GYO N G

First published 2015 Ode To Art Raffles City 252 North Bridge Road, Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-36E/F, Singapore 179103 Tel: +65 6250 1901 Fax: +65 6250 5354 Ode To Art Kuala Lumpur 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, The Pavilion, #06-24E/F, Kuala Lumpur 55100, Malaysia Tel: +603 2148 9816 Fax: +603 2142 6816 info@odetoart.com odetoart.com Š Ode To Art 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Printed and bound in Singapore