ZWX-Untitled Warrior25x10x7-1_2in

　　From Pit #5
　　Sculptures by Zhang Wanxin
　　4 to 26 July, 2008
　　Art Beatus Gallery
　　35-39 Graham Street,
　　Ground Floor, Central, Hong Kong
　　Opening reception: 4 July, 2008 (Friday), 6 – 8pm

　　來自五號坑
　　張萬新 雕塑展
　　二ＯＯ八年七月四日至廿六日
　　精藝軒畫廊
　　香港中環(huán)嘉咸街３５號地鋪
　　開幕式：二ＯＯ八年七月四日（星期五） 下午六時至八時

　　Art Beatus Gallery is located on the ground floor of 35-39 Graham Street, Central,
near the junction with Hollywood Road and Lyndhurst Terrace (SOHO Area).
　　For further information about this exhibition or interview with the artist, please e-mail us at dyiu@artbeatus.com.hk or call at 2522-1138 / 2526-0818.
　　Gallery Hours: Mon. thr. Sat. 11:30am -7:30pm, close on Sundays & public holidays.

　　精藝軒畫廊位于中環(huán)嘉咸街３５號地鋪（近荷李活道與擺花街交界）。
　　畫廊開放時間：星期一至六 11:30am-7:30pm 星期日及公眾假期休息。

　　From Pit #5 - Sculptures by Zhang Wanxin
　　來自五號坑﹣張萬新雕塑展
　　2008年7月4日至26日
　　開幕式：2008年7月4日（星期五） 下午6時至8時
　　精藝軒畫廊 Art Beatus Gallery www.artbeatus.com
　　香港中環(huán)嘉咸街35-39號嘉豪大廈地下3號鋪
　　Tel: (852) 2522.1138 e: dyiu@artbeatus.com.hk

　　精藝軒于7月展出著名旅美雕塑家張萬新的個人作品。秦兵馬俑坑至今挖掘出了四個坑，讓世人看到兩千年前秦朝兵馬俑的面貌和浩瀚歷史遺跡。而張萬新在美國以藝術家的角度建造他的"五號坑"，他將當今的大千世界推進"五號坑"里，作品題材關注到人性，社會，政治等方面，跨越時空地給觀眾傳遞強烈震撼力。他的陶瓷人像作品充滿現(xiàn)代氣息并帶有無國界的幽默感，令觀眾直接感受到作品的非凡氣魄和深度，以多方位組合方式向觀眾報告文化傳承與變遷帶給人類精神上的沖擊。

　　在"新兵馬俑"系列，萬新用現(xiàn)代人的眼光角度表現(xiàn)對古秦兵馬俑的印象和情感。他大膽地為現(xiàn)代俑們臉部架上一副墨鏡，這一簡練筆觸非但沒有遮上心靈的窗口，反而加深了人物內在精神的張力。墨鏡將個人的游移背景和萬新對中西文化，政治和宗教相亦又相斥的疑惑擴展到群體現(xiàn)象。展出作品還有他對生活中人物形象的塑造系列，有樸實陜北老農形象；也有背靠紅色深沉背景的門墻而坐的西裝打扮普通現(xiàn)代人形象，為觀眾留下了可以充分發(fā)揮想象的空間，作品都顯現(xiàn)出人文的意味和底蘊。還有耐人尋味的"紅白十年"系列包括紅袖章；毛像章；天安門等紅色符號題材，顯示藝術家自己經(jīng)歷文革歲月時留存心靈記憶里的色彩影像和故事。張萬新在對秦陵文化的反思中找到了那種畸形的意識形態(tài)遺傳的初根。似乎在"秦兵馬俑"與"紅衛(wèi)兵"之間隱藏著一些引人深思的聯(lián)系，有待觀眾去發(fā)掘和聯(lián)想。

　　在美國十多年來，張萬新專注藝術創(chuàng)作，認真研究中西文化精髓，致力追求自己作品的深度。他的作品極具品味和欣賞價值，他自然大氣的雕塑手法及拙中見智的老辣方式顯示他功底深厚；泥的走勢，色的韻運即龍飛鳳舞又不乏莊嚴，作品返璞歸真似一氣呵成，構圖直率獷悍，充分顯現(xiàn)了他獨特的藝術天賦和深厚修養(yǎng)。

　　張萬新于1992年赴美留學并獲舊金山藝術大學雕塑碩士學位。2006年5月獲得美國專業(yè)性極高的弗吉尼亞格瑞特(Virginia Groot)雕塑基金會的年度一等獎，是該基金會創(chuàng)辦18年來的首位華人雕塑家獲得的最高榮譽。近年來，張萬新先后在舊金山，紐約，邁阿密，華盛頓，溫哥華，圣地亞哥，懷俄名大學，和布發(fā)羅大學等地舉辦個展，聯(lián)展及講座，作品被廣泛的收藏。其作品并被紐約大學著名藝術評論家朱迪，蘇爾滋(Judith Schwartz) 編入續(xù)將在倫敦出版的新書，"Confrontational Ceramics" 一書中。

　　精藝軒畫廊位于中環(huán)嘉咸街35號地鋪（近荷李活道與擺花街交界）。畫廊開放時間：星期一至六 11:30am-7:30pm 星期日及公眾假期休息。

　　Report from Pit #5

　　Since 1974, four burial pits dating back to the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207 BC) have been uncovered and excavated. Aside from the obvious historical and archaeological significances of those findings, the pit sites have also shocked the world with their magnificence and powerfulness of the battle formation of the Qin Terra-cotta warriors. San Francisco –based sculptor, Zhang Wanxin, has been offering an artistic perspective of new founds from Pit #5 in the United States since 1997.

　　Through his works, Wanxin has demonstrated his understanding of humanity as well as the fusion of the Eastern and Western cultures while pushing and piling these concepts onto pieces uncovered in his own pit.

　　In an act to blend the past, present, and future, he is conveying to audiences the spiritual and psychological impacts that cultural heritages and social changes have on generations of people.

　　This exhibition is the first time that Zhang Wanxin has exhibited in China after he moved to the United States in 1992. His name elicits both a sense of familiarity and strangeness in the contemporary Chinese art scene. Wanxin graduated from the Lu Xun Art Institute in 1985. Shortly after the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, one of his works, a pair of black sheep made from metal scraps, was selected for the 7th National Art Exhibition in Beijing. That piece, named “Season,” appealed to many due to its unique style, distinct character, and mature techniques. This recognition derived from the fact that the piece indirectly invokes a sense of political controversy, while simultaneously employing modern materials and resources such as metal.

　　“Season” was thought to reflect the dark period of the time, as people considered those years as the “Season for Slaughtering Sheep”. That piece was exhibited as “Two Sheep” due to discretion of the museum. On a similar note, making use of a physically rigid material to produce sculptures of the vulnerable sheep was one main focus of Wanxin’s artistic endeavour. It symbolized the contradiction of human’s mental strength and physical fragility. “Season” has also become the start of a new journey, and from then on, every piece from Wanxin contained both an artistic pursuit as well as his reaction toward the political world at large.

　　In 1992, Zhang Wanxin went to America to earn his Masters Degree. Similar to how his earlier works mirrored his active participation in the 1980’s Young Artist Movement, Wanxin’s sculptures in the United States also reflect his concentration and sentiments in his social environs. He switched his main material to clay instead of metal due to the influence of American Funk artists such as Stephen de Staebler, Peter Voulkos, and Robert Arneson.

　　The California Funk Art movement is an important milestone in the development of American contemporary art. In this period, master artists combined political content with their own individual art styles to create pieces with strong and engaging presences. After Wanxin’s arrival in the States, he quickly assimilated into this art culture due to his strong technical training and sensitivity to societal changes. Wanxin has once said, “The Chinese blood flowing in my veins will fuel my creativity in the West.” His works have manifested this. While holding on to his past ideals and viewpoints, his interactions with the Western master sculptors have ignited a sense of originality and helped Wanxin to have a style of his own. Furthermore, the change of material from metal to clay has enhanced the inner vitality and vigour of his sculptures.

　　Since inaugurating his Pit #5, Wanxin has received wide recognition from the academic world. What shocks the audiences at first sight of his figures is the creativity and boldness of him of establishing his own contemporary Pit, while respecting and maintaining the ancient and initial ingenuity of the Terra-cotta warriors. This kind of innovative impulse is one of most important elements of Wanxin’s art. While standing in the midst of this new generation of warriors, one cannot help but be amazed by the magnificence of each piece and the group as a whole.

　　“No matter what my experiences in the West consist of, it will not be able to override my own cultural background. At the forefront of my creative thoughts regarding Pit #5 is the tragic feeling that these previous pits evoke. I cannot fully explain in words the feelings and reactions I have as I think of the political calamity that occurred. It forces me to respond without any space to compromise,” Wanxin expressed.

　　In this exhibition, Wanxin will show his new pieces as part of the well-known Terra-cotta Warrior series. The most visible aspect of his individualism is seen through the round sunglasses that are used to cover eyes of the warriors, the mirrors of their souls. These simple and self-assured additions have enhanced the contemporary nature of the works and the spiritual impact of the warriors. They thus represent a mixture of cultures, an impact of politics versus religion, as well as a sense of identity confusion.

　　In Pit #5, Zhang Wanxin uncovered not only the new “Warriors” but also the “Travellers” and “My Nation” items, which are both parts of the Pit #5 entity. In “My Nation”, Wanxin’s reflects on the development of China in recent years, the constant changes that are occurring, and most importantly, the aspects of the country that have never changed. What exactly are these aspects? Why they remain constant? Wanxin uses his pieces to raise questions.

　　According to the artist, the Qin Empire that ruled China for 14 years more than 2000 years ago and the Cultural Revolution that flared for ten years in China some four decades ago bear many similarities. The most glaring point is the monumental and lasting impacts that the rulers of these two periods have on the Chinese people. Both the Terra-cotta warriors of Qin and the Red Guards of Mao were soldiers of political tragedies and negative cultural heritage. Both dictators, Qin Shihuang and Mao Tsedong, demanded utmost respect and blind trust from their countrymen while taking away their ability to reason, their capability to suggest changes and their free will to speak their minds. As most Chinese people have a common personality weakness to stay habitual, this has in one way or the other allows the welding of absolute power to continue permeating in our society these days.

　　Wanxin’s works continuously question issues in the Chinese culture and our society at present with the sharpness of Lu Xun and sensitivity of Bo Yang. He is a serious artist and his dynamic sculptures always incorporate a certain dosage of humour to grasp the viewers’ attention. The greatest satisfaction and enjoyment of each piece can be easily found in the textures of the clay, the colour variations and the movement of the materials. Wanxin has applied his artistic genius in presenting to the viewers that deeper meaning behind all the pieces as well as the enticing and highly-texturized appearances.

　　Great art is created through the artist’s sensitivity to society and his ability to communicate the inner thoughts through his pieces.

　　Pit #5 is about pushing today’s world into the historical pit while pulling history forward and enlarging this spectrum for all of us to witness. Wanxin has deep scholarly love for his mother country and the Chinese culture. This is fully demonstrated through his artistic perspectives and expressions. Sorrow, strength, candour, humour and personality complexity are some of the obvious characteristics captured in Wanxin’s figures; and these, basically, are the features that are found in the works of the masters.

Zhang Wanxin

Born in 1961, Changchun, China

Education

1992-1996 Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA

1980-1985 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture, Luxun Institute of Fine Art, ShengYang, Liaoning Province, China

1978-1980 Diploma of Fine Art, Art School of Jilin, Changchun, Jilin Province, China

Teaching

1996-present Instructor, Academy of Art University San Francisco , USA

1985-1992 Assistant Professor, Jilin Art College , ChangChun, China

Solo Exhibition

2008 "Pit #5, Shifting Dreams", Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, California USA

"Report from Pit #5", Art Beatus Gallery, Hong Kong, China

"Pit #5, Michigan", The Alden B.Dow Museum of Science & Art, Midland Art Center, Midland, Michigan, USA

2007 "Pit #5, California Artist Too", Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, California, USA

2006 "Wanxin Zhang's New Works", Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA

“Pit #5 Laramie , 2006”, University of Wyoming Art Museum Laramie, Wyoming

2004 “Figures of the Future‘s Past - Pit #5”, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery Miami, Florida, USA

2002 “Ceramic Sculpture”, Triangle Gallery San Francisco, USA

2001 “Treasures of China-A-Dialogue”, Vorpal Gallery San Francisco, USA

1997 “Wanxin Zhang 1997”, Space 303 San Francisco, USA

"Breaking Out", Chinese Cultural Center, San Francisco, USA

1996 “Dialogue” MFA Graduate Show, Academy of Art University Sculpture Center, San Francisco, USA

Group Show (Selected)

2008 "A Human Impulse: Figuration from the Diane and Sandy Besser Collection", Arizona State University Art Museum, USA

"Artists to Watch - Asia", Turner Carroll Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

"Taiwan Ceramics Biennale", Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taipei, Taiwan

2007 "In Your Face", Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, USA

"Clay and Brush: The Ceramic Art of China", Lowe Museum of Art, Coral Gables, Florida, USA

"What is Next?", Florida Craftsman Gallery, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

"The 22nd UBE Biennale International Sculpture Competition", Yamaguchi, Japan

2006 “45th Anniversary” Triangle Gallery, San Francisco, USA

“Landscape Sculpture Design for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games”, Beijing, China

2005 “Little Basil” Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, USA

“Riverbend Sculpture Biennial 2005”, Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts Owensboro , Kentucky, USA

“The Other Mainstream”, Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona, USA

"Palm Beach 3", Represented by Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, USA

"The 7th San Francisco International Art Expo", Byron Cohen Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

2004 “It’s for the Birds” Traveling Exhibition, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery Miami, USA

"Art Basel Miami Beach" International Art Fair, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, USA

2003 “Across the Divide”, Gatov and Werby Art Gallery Cal State Long Beach, CA, USA

"Art Basel Miami Beach" International Art Fair, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, USA

"Fourth Toronto International Art Fair", Art Beatus Gallery, Vancouver, Canada

"14th Annual California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art", Davis, CA, USA

"International Art Expo, Chicago", Art Beatus Gallery, Vancouver, Canada

"Gallery Artists", John Elder Gallery, New York, New York, USA

2001 “Selected Artists”,Triangle Gallery San Francisco, USA

2000 “2000 All California Exhibition”, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego , USA

“Sculpture 2000”, Catholic University of America , Washington, USA

1999 “New Year Celebration”, Hayward Art Council, Hayward City Hall, CA, USA

1998 “The Light is Diverse in California”, Center for Visual Art, Oakland , USA

"The Fifth Annual San Francisco International Art Festival", Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, USA

1997 “Contemporary Sculpture”, Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, USA

“California Clay Competition Exhibition”, The Artery Gallery, Davis , CA, USA

1996 “The 21st Annual Open Show”, Roseville Art Center Roseville CA, USA

“Spring Show” Academy Of Art University,

“June Juries Show” Gallery Router One. Point Reyes Station, CA, USA

1995 “Gallery Artists” Triangle Gallery, San Francisco, USA

“The 10th International Art Exchange”, Asian Art Society in America, San Francisco, USA

1990 “Asian 11th Champion Art Exhibition”, International Exhibition Center Beijing, China

1989 “The 7th National Fine Art Exhibition”, National Fine Art Galler , Beijing, China

1987 “The 60th Anniversary Army Art Show”, National Fine Art Gallery, Beijing, China

Award and Grants (Selected)

2006 Virginia A. Groot Foundation Sculptors Grant – 1 st Place Evanston , Illinois, USA

NEA / Warhol Foundation, Artist-in-Residence Award, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA

2004 The Joan Mitchell Foundation Inc. Painters and Sculptors Grant New York, USA

2000 Distinctive Merit Award, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, USA

1997 "Honorary Merit Award of the Outdoor Sculpture Search, Los Altos City, USA

1989 Sculpture Bronze Prize, The 7th National Art Exhibition, National Art Gallery Beijing, China

Selective Collections

Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California, USA

City of Albuquerque, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

City of Dalian, Dalian, China

Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, California, USA

Lowe Museum of Art, Coral Gables, Florida, USA

National Fine Art Gallery, Beijing, China

Sandy Besser Collection, Sante Fe, New Mexico, USA

University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, Wyoming, USA

Virginia A. Groot Foundation, Evanston, Illinois, USA

Private collectors in US and Switzerland

Red Guards 22x12x18

New God25x12x98

My Country Two28.5x18x13