“Liu Jianhua” Installation view ©Pace Gallery Seoul
Pace Gallery Seoul presents “Liu Jianhua,” a solo exhibition by Chinese artist Liu Jianhua (b. 1962), whose work straddles the boundaries between ceramics and sculpture, through April 29. This exhibition focuses on the artist’s exploration and technical mastery of ceramics, which he has been practicing for more than 50 years, since 1977, when he was apprenticed in Jingdezhen, the ceramic production capital of China.
In addition to A Unified Core, the exhibition will feature works from the series ‘The Shape of Trace’ (2016-2022), ‘Blank Paper’ (2009-2019), and ‘Lines’ (2015-2019). The exhibition takes place on the first and second floors of the gallery, with A Unified Core installed on the first floor. It shows approximately 500 teardrop-shaped ceramics pouring down from the sky.
On the second floor, ‘The Shape of Trace’ and ‘Blank Paper’ are on display. ‘Blank Paper’ which hangs large on the wall, looks like white paper but is a thin piece of porcelain. Compared to porcelain, thin porcelain plates are relatively difficulty and tricky to produce, and Blank Paper is a series of works that demonstrate the artist’s technical proficiency.
Through his sculptures and installations, Liu Jianhua explores themes of accumulation and transience. He explores Chinese history and culture through a variety of materials, including ceramics, found objects, waste, and industrial products. Ceramics, the main material of his work, is connected to the long tradition of Chinese ceramic art, but it also functions as an indicator of contemporary development in the context of globalization.
