Art Eexhibitions
East Meets West--Chinese export porcelain,
paintings, and other objects made in the eighteenth
and the nineteenth centuries for Western market. They
clearly show the results of East meeting West. Art
pieces were loaned from the MFA, the China Trade Museum
of Canton, the Peabody Museum of Salem and from private
collections. This exhibition marked the opening of
CCI's facilities at the old Metropolitan Center which
later became the Wang Center for the Performing Arts.
The Magnificent Landscape of China; Fine Art Photography
by Tchan Fou-li--Tchan is an internationally celebrated
photographer who has received numerous honors and
awards and was repeatedly listed among the top ten
of photographers selected by international salons.
His photographs were dramatic representations of the
delicate beauty, the grandeur, the poetry, of Chinese
landscape.
Chinese in Massachusetts: Their Experiences and
Contributions--A humanities exhibition documenting
the history of the Chinese in Massachusetts, this
was researched and produced by CCI and partially funded
by the Massachusetts Foundations for the Humanities
and Public Policy. Chinese of America: 1785-1980--a
documentary exhibition produced by The Chinese Culture
Foundation of San Francisco and funded by the National
Endowment for the Humanities.
Synthesis: Images of China and the West--featuring
works by Maria Fang and Joanna Kao.
Children's Eye: Paintings by Children from All
Parts of the World--200 winning entries of world
wide children's art competition.
Artists from China: The Young Generation--Eight
young and promising artists originally from Beijing,
Shanghai and Gwongzhou were selected and featured
in this show to reflect the current tendencies in
Chinese art after the Cultural Revolution.
Chinese Women of America, 1834-1982--a photo
and text documentary of the lives, struggles, and
achievements of Chinese women in America in the past
century. It also traced the events and issues which
affected Chinese women over the years. Coinciding
with the exhibit were workshops and symposia dealing
with the role of Chinese American women of the 80's
East Meets West: Architecture as a Means of Bicultural
Communication--This show explored how the architects'
and planners' bi-cultural background had influenced
their work and how did they adapt traditional planning
theories and principles in their search for a new
vocabulary of contemporary Chinese architecture.
Liu Tian Wei, An Innovator of Chinese Painting--An
extraordinarily talented young artist from Shanghai
, Liu held his first solo show in this country at
Boston Center for the Art. His work attracted the
attention of CCI's Curator and led to this show.
Essence Beyond Form--From over 200 applicants
17 artists were selected by 3 jurors for this show
which explored the influence of Chinese art theories,
principles and styles on the work of Western artists.
This was a collaborative project of CCI and the Boston
Visual Artists Union.
Li Xing-bai--Li is a painter of the Beijing Painting
Academy. He was invited by Indiana University to be
an artist-in-residence in 1985.
Kuang Chung-yin--Kuang is a follower of Chang Ta-chien,
one of the foremost masters in China in this century.
Chao Er-dai--paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and
seal carving by the 72-years old Taiwan based artist.
Retrospective,
An exhibition highlighting CCI's past art exhibitions
to mark the opening of its new facilities.
Art, East and West--concieved as a cross-cultural
exhibition to showcase points of artistic interaction
and difference, it then expanded to a gamut of programs
and activities held during the exhibition period.
Ethnic Minorities within China, Diversity and Unity--an
exhibition of paintings by three Chinese artists who
traveled to various regions in China and depicted
the lives and customs of many of the ethnic minorities
in China.
Fissures and Chasms, Recent Work by Qiu
Deshu--Qiu, a Shanghai artist who had evolved a uniquely
personal style and technique of painting, was an artist
in residence at Tufts University in 1986.
The Loom and the Wheel, featuring Works
by six weavers and ceramists from Taiwan.
Five Chinese American Artists--For the first
time Chinese American artists were shown as a group.
The purpose of this show was to examine the conscious
and unconscious links of one's ethnic background to
his/her artistic creativity.
Chinese Women of America, 1834-1982--a photo
and text documentary of the lives, struggles, and
achievements of Chinese women in America in the past
century. It also traced the events and issues which
affected Chinese women over the years. Coinciding
with the exhibit were workshops and symposia dealing
with the role of Chinese American women of the 80's
East Meets West: Architecture as a Means of Bicultural
Communication--This show explored how the architects'
and planners' bi-cultural background had influenced
their work and how did they adapt traditional planning
theories and principles in their search for a new
vocabulary of contemporary Chinese architecture.
Liu Tian Wei, An Innovator of Chinese Painting--An
extraordinarily talented young artist from Shanghai
, Liu held his first solo show in this country at
Boston Center for the Art. His work attracted the
attention of CCI's Curator and led to this show.
Essence Beyond Form--From over 200 applicants 17
artists were selected by 3 jurors for this show which
explored the influence of Chinese art theories, principles
and styles on the work of Western artists. This was
a collaborative project of CCI and the Boston Visual
Artists Union.
Li Xing-bai--Li is a painter of the Beijing Painting
Academy. He was invited by Indiana University to be
an artist-in-residence in 1985.
Kuang Chung-yin--Kuang is a follower of Chang Ta-chien,
one of the foremost masters in China in this century.
Chao Er-dai--paintings, calligraphy, ceramics and
seal carving by the 72-years old Taiwan based artist.
Retrospective,
an exhibition highlighting CCI's past art exhibitions
to mark the opening of its new facilities.
Art, East and West--conceived as a cross-cultural
exhibition to showcase points of artistic interaction
and difference, it then expanded to a gamut of programs
and activities held during the exhibition period.
Ethnic Minorities within China, Diversity and Unity--an
exhibition of paintings by three Chinese artists who
traveled to various regions in China and depicted
the lives and customs of many of the ethnic minorities
in China.
Fissures and Chasms, Recent Work by Qiu Deshu--Qiu,
a Shanghai artist who had evolved a uniquely personal
style and technique of painting, was an artist in
residence at Tufts University in 1986.
The Loom and the Wheel, featuring Works by six weavers
and ceramists from Taiwan.
Five Chinese American Artists--For the first time
Chinese American artists were shown as a group. The
purpose of this show was to examine the conscious
and unconscious links of one's ethnic background to
his/her artistic creativity.
Liu Tian Wei, New Work At Chinese Culture Institute--Liu's
deep rooted Chinese training fused with unique personal
views and experiences in art resulted in his abstract
work created in 1983 and 1984 which is a marriage
of line, form, color, space, rhythm and movement,
and the beauty and flavor of Chinese calligraphic
gesture. His Oeuvre of that period is imbued with
a strong sense of music and lyricism. It generated
a great deal of favorable comments from the critics
and enthusiasm in the collectors. In his paintings
of 1986, the viewer may find the connection with Chinese
art very tenuous. One may think that he has departed
completely from his Chinese tradition and entered
the main stream of Western modern art. In fact, there
is a intrinsic but intangible relation between Liu's
oeuvre and traditional Chinese art. Beyond the obvious
differences in media and techniques, a deeper layer
of difference between Chinese art and Western art
is seen in the attitudes of the artists when dealing
with human emotions and cosmic problems. Chinese art
rarely dwells on agony and despair. Such emotions
are always treated with utmost subtlety and control
whereas in the West they are exaggerated, even dramatized.
Sharing Oswald Spengler's view about the history and
cultures of mankind, Liu Tian Wei uses his art to
express his sympathy with this German philosopher.
The meanings in these works are profound yet the expression
is subtle.
Spirit of the Brush, the Relations Between Chinese
Painting and Calligraphy--Nowhere in the world
has calligraphy so closely connected with painting
as it has in China and Japan where Chinese influence
is most evident. The Chinese scholars and artists
have used the same kind of ink, brush and paper or
silk for centuries and the two arts have shared the
same aesthetic theories and principles. The two arts
have been related since the first century of our era.
With the rise of wen-jen hua (literary man's painting
or literati painting) in the Sung dynasty the closeness
of the tie reached its height. Many famous painters
of Sung and subsequent dynasties were excellent calligraphers
as well. The qualities of calligraphy are judged by
its Ch'i-yun (rhythmic vitality), which has always
been the chief desideratum of both calligraphy and
painting. It has been generally accepted that training
in calligraphy forms the basis for painting. Even
today, while Chinese painting is not taught in the
schools, calligraphy is a required course from the
third grade through senior high. This exhibition,
with explanatory text, illustrations and sample art
pieces, is intended for educating the viewer about
the techniques, materials and shared qualities of
the two arts.
Chinese Women Artists--The show featured ten area
women artists working in different media.
Two Artists from Kwangzhou--an exhibition organized
by CCI and mounted at the Symphony Hall. Painting
in China, the Last Three Decades--The show reflects
the dreams and hopes of the Chinese artists who have
lived in a society which, not long ago, would not
allow expressive license, but now encourages the exploration
of new ideas. The importance of this show is to give
our audience an opportunity to see what China's new
generation of artists are producing.
Dreams and Fantasies, the Art of Luis Chan--A
leading member of the Hong Kong Art Club since 1930
and author of several books, Luis Chan is a master
of dreamlike illusion and a poet of the incongruous.
Chan's traditional style gave way to a series of experimentations
in the sixties, and he arrived at his current, imaginative
version of Surrealism during the seventies. Belonging
to the first generation of modern Chinese painter,
he is widely recognized in South East Asia.
Boston Remembered, Paintings by Wang Shakong--Wang's
nostalgic watercolors of China's countryside charmed
Boston's audience when they were shown at CCI in a
group show. During his sojourn in Boston, Wang fondly
recorded the landmarks and scenery of Boston and its
vicinity with his paint brush. Upon leaving Boston
the artist shared with the audience his feelings and
perceptions of this city.
Artists From Chnia, Personal
Expressions Artists featured include Yuan Yun
Sheng, Wang Keping, Ma Desheng,….
Artists from China, Personal Expressions--The
show featured a group of highly accomplished and well
known Chinese painters, sculptors and print makers
such as Yuan Yunsheng, Wang Keping, Bai Jingzhou,
Ma Desheng and Yang Qian who for the pursuit of more
creative freedom, had left China in the past ten years
and worked intensely "in an attempt to make up for
a century of lost time," as the leader of this group
stated. The output of this group clearly shows the
aspiration of contemporary Chinese artists and the
directions they are taking.
Gong Hai-lan--Gong, a resident of Tokyo,
is a young and promising artist originally from Shanghai.
His surrealistic style draws the poetry from ordinary
things, and while his technique has been influenced
by Western traditions, his art reflects the many facets
of Eastern aesthetics.
A Glimpse of the Middle Kingdom--a photographic documentary
by Akram Burton that explores the beauty of China
and the life of its people.
For the Theatre; Designs Bridging the East and the
West--An exhibition of models, renderings, scene paintings
and costume designs. The two D and three D designs
are accompanied by informative texts that enable the
viewer to learn about the process of the designers'
creativity. The three designers were faculty members
of theatre schools in Beijing and Shanghai. They have
designed for numerous stage productions as well as
for television.
Asian American Artists Annual Show--Works ranged
from painting, drawing, ceramics to sculpture and
installation.
Chinese Contemporary Tapestry by Yuan Yun-Fu--Yuan
is one of the leading contemporary artists in China.
His mastery of Chinese folk and fine arts and knowledge
of Western art combined with his inventive ideas resulted
in these refreshingly unique designs for the monumental
silk and wool wall hangings. Coming directly from
Beijing, the tapestries were shown for the first time
in New England.
Chinese Calligraphy by Liu Tian Wei--Invited
by CCI's curator the artist created this most unique
show consisting of 16 single pieces or sets of 2,
3 or 4 pieces of work in which the contemporary concept
of design and the abstract beauty of Chinese calligraphy
resulted in a perfect marriage.
Penjing (Bonsai) U.S. Premiere 1989--The
Chinese have been developing the art of creating and
growing miniature trees and landscapes since the 8th
century. This art was introduced to Japan at a later
date. Today, most Westerners know this attractive
and absorbing form of gardening only by way of the
derivative Japanese Bonsai. This exhibition afforded
the viewer an opportunity to see the original purity
and breadth of Chinese Penjing. The pieces were cultivated
by two leading masters of this art in China. They
came to Boston with the show and demonstrated at the
opening.
Sister Cities: Boston And Hongzhow Landscapes of
Boston and Hongzhow--watercolors depicting the city-
and waterscapes of both cities by two artists in China.
Wang Xu-zhu visited Boston in 1985 and was moved by
the various sights of the City which he felt was so
different from cities in China. He recorded his excited
emotion and first impression of the streets, buildings,
and the Charles River, and created a group of paintings
which he brought back to China and showed there. Xia
Ye painted the scenes of Hangzhou and joined Wang
in this show.
Essence Beyond Form, Art Reflecting East-West
Cultural Interactions--Exploring the results
of Chinese influence on non-Asian artists, this juried
show featured 12 area artists. Their work ranged from
painting to sculpture and photography.
Cities Anonymous, Fine Art Photography by Yves
Lieou--The work consists of some three dozen
images, from shots taken in recent years both in this
country and abroad. These are not travelogue pictures
or ordinary scenes of beauty. They are the artist's
personal expression of what he saw, be it some wry
incident or a tableau with social overtones.
Best Publications from Taiwan--A book fair held at
CCI and co-sponsored by CCI and The World Book Store.
Over 14,000 titles were displayed.
The Dream Shattered, Ten Year Reform and the
Beijing Massacre--a photo, video and slide documentary
co-produced by CCI and Hong Kong Chinese Students
for Human Rights.
Beyond Ink and Color, Paintings by Nancy Chu
Woo--The show consists of thirty some pieces
of abstract landscape paintings each is an orchestration
of colors. Woo's intense study of both Eastern and
Western modes of painting coupled with her strong
desire to search for the new give birth to a style
that has the poetry of Chinese landscape painting
and the boldness of Western abstract.
A Fresh Look at Old Tradition--showcasing
the work of nine regional Chinese artists each of
whom interprets the tradition of Chinese painting
in a unique way.
Chinatown Community Plan--An exhibition
of architectural designs submitted by various architects
for a Chinatown Community Center. The project is part
of the Urban Design and Development Control section's
effort in developing a community-based master plan
for Chinatown. CCI has been involved in the process.
New Expression: Contemporary Chinese Brush Paintings,
1984-1989--30 odd paintings by ten artists from different
regions in China and from Hong Kong were featured
in the show. With sound trainings in the traditional
Chinese mode and media these artists have successfully
evolved powerful personal styles which challenge tradition
and yet at the same time pay homage to it. This group
of work are technically facile, visually pleasing
and fresh in approaches and treatments of familiar
subjects. They represent tendencies of contemporary
Chinese painting.
Overseas Chinese Artists from Taiwan--penjing
(miniature landscape in a pot), painting and calligraphy
by ten artists from Taiwan
Woo Yeh Kee, A Foremost Painter of the Lin-nan School--Founded
over half a century ago, the Lin Nan School has a
stronghold in Kuangdong Province although the style
of that school has also been adopted by artists elsewhere.
But those artists are mostly of Kuangdong origin.
The style of this school is characterized by the use
of bright and diaphanous colors and the insistence
on close representation of the object depicted.
One Medium Two Cultures,
Arts Education Program/Ars Camp 4/1 open 7/11 - 8/31/91
Cross Currents--Paontings by Elsa Marley and Chen
Keliang Although generally abstract their new work
ratain allusions to landscape and the perception of
atmosphere and light while paying tribute to modernist
gestural painting.. In these works the artists have
introduced skeins of poured-color and gold enamels
which overlay to rich ornamental quality onto the
subtle watercolor washes that are the traditionally
derived foundation for their work. Many paintings
are in the customary scroll form and others are smaller
works on silk-mounted Chinese paper.
Asian Women as Artists exhibition series
Chinese folk paintings from Wangxia village Paintings
done by farmers from Wangxia Village of northwestern
Hebei Province. They give us vivid views of life in
rural China. Wangxia is rrich in folk art traditions
including embroidery, paper-cutting and furniture
painting, elements of which are seen in these unaffected,
unpretentious, and straightforward folk paintings.
