Hsiung Ping-Ming: A Retrospective
Hsiung Ping-Ming
2014. 09. 20 — 2014. 11. 01

|EXHIBITION

Hsiung Ping-Ming: A Retrospective

 

This fall, Main Trend Gallery is presenting an art exhibition of Hsiung Ping-Ming, an artist based in France whose works include sculpture, Chinese painting, calligraphy, and painting.

 

Born in Nanjing, China in 1922, Hsiung Ping-Ming received a scholarship to study philosophy in France in 1947. Upon his arrival in the art capital of Paris, he was exposed to various forms of artistic expression and found that purely theoretical studies were no longer satisfying to him. After much deliberation, he decided to switch to sculpture. He studied with Professor Marcel Gimond and participated in the creation of art. In addition to sculpture, Hsiung Ping-Ming also had considerable achievements in Chinese characters and calligraphy. During his stay in Europe, he was invited to give lectures on Chinese characters and calligraphy, where he analyzed his native language and discovered deeper structures and poetry beyond surface communication and writing. He also analyzed and categorized ancient calligraphy theories from a philosophical perspective and developed his own teaching methods. Hsiung Ping-Ming's painting training is also always present. He habitually remembers the past and depicts reality through painting. He strives to capture his own consciousness in each and every stroke he paints.

 

The exhibition will showcase the sculptures and paintings of Hsiung Ping-Ming. A total of 20 sculptures will be on display, showing the evolution of his sculptural work from the simple imagery of his early works, to the profound spirituality of his mid-career, to the mastery of materials and imagery of his later works. The lightness of " Raven," the weight of " Buffalo," and the movement of "Butterfly" are all vividly rendered. In addition, there will be 21 ink and color paintings on display, which showcase Hsiung Ping-Ming's skillful and vibrant lines that capture the memories of the past. "Wedding" depicts rural life in China, while "Window, Table, Chair and Paper Basket" shows his day and night desk. His works also record his awareness of reality, as "Three Rooms, Four Ducks" expresses his longing for rural life, while "Execution Ground" and "Three Wolves" lament cruel history.

 

Hsiung Ping-Ming once said that his work has never been single-minded, but it is precisely because of this that a mixed and fused spiritual understanding is allowed to present itself to us.

 

 

 

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|Hsiung Ping-Ming──Amid Concept and Form|

 

Of all the Chinese artists in the 20th century, none spent so much energy as Hsiung Ping-Ming did in studying and discussing sculpture.

 

"In each epoch, each nation’s understanding of its own existence finds expression in sculptures. Be they statues of gods, heroes, or women, sculptures faithfully mirror a nation’s ideal of existence in its time," Hsiung said

|Fan Di-An(范迪安), Art Critic

 

The aesthetic delight and style of Hsiung’s oeuvre bear the signature of Chinese traditions and that shared among all nations in the world. His oeuvre belongs to the 20th century, and, of course, embodies his personality.

|Shao Da-Zhen(邵大箴), Art Critic

 


Hsiung Ping-Ming──Amid Concept and Form

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