Soka Present Mao Xuhui Exhibition at Art Basel HK|Booth 1B01

News and Events

2016-03-02

MAO XUHUI

BOOTH:1B01

ART BASEL HONG KONG

2016.3.22—3.26

SOKA ART BEIJING

2016.4.30—6.19

Soka Art (索卡艺术) will present the most influential and legendary Chinese contemporary artist, Mao Xuhui (毛旭辉b.1956-) Exhibition, Purple Solemnity at Art Basel Hong Kong 2016 (24-26, March, 2016).

Mao Xuhui is well-known for his key role as the leader of two academic Chinese art movement : 85 New Wave (85美术新潮)and Southwest Art AcademicSociety (西南艺术研究群体). After the establishment of New China in 1949, Chinese art gradually became the propaganda tool to the Chinese government. During the early 1980s,the art circle faced the conservative circumstance. Many young talented artists were not able to participate in authorized exhibitions merely because their works were not related to politically-correct subjects. However, art should be“transgressive” and thought provoking. At 1985, Fai Daiwei published an article that pointed out the government should expand the boundary and allow artists to create freely. In respond to Fai’s statement, Mao Xuhui organized the New FigurativeImage Exhibition(新具象绘画展)in Shanghai in July 1985. The 85 New Wave started to wave to the nation.This significant exhibition Mao Xuhui curated marked the very first art exhibition organized by non-government organization in China, and had opened up the Pandora box of art. The 85 New Wave is described as the New Enlightenment to Chinese art. Artists begin to become concerned on how to work independently with modernism and humanism. Followed by 85 New Wave, Mao Xuhui organized Southwest Art Academic Society with members of Zhang Xiaogang, Pan Dehai and Ye Yongqing in the late 1980s. They used a studio together, debatedon arts, music, literature and philosophy with no money and no art market. To Mao Xuhui, this is his Chinese Belle Epoque.

Mao Xuhui grew up and is still currently based in Kunming. During the Cultural Revolution, he was sent to a movie theater in Kunming to paint posters. According to Mao, the working group leader would stand on a chair and give a speech everyday out of duty. Other group members have no choice but to sit on the floor and listen. Therefore, the “Chair” became an influential art language in Mao’s works. It symbolized power to thesociety. Mao Xuhui has several important series included Chairs, Parents,Scissor, Private Space and Kunming series. Every subject is deeply attached to Mao Xuhui’s life experience.

Mao Xuhui has conducted his art career for over 30 years and exhibits intensively at the world famous art institutes suchas: 85 New Wave-The Birth of Chinese Contemporary Art at UCCA Beijing 2007; Inside Out: New Chinese Art at MoMA PS1 New York 1998; China! at Kunstmuseum Bonn1996; I Don’t Want to Play Cards with Cezanne at Asia and Pacific Art Museum California 1991 and many more.

Today, he is still based at the simple town,Kunming, which is far away from the art capital Beijing. As a famous artist,Mao’s studio is very humble and plain, redefining the successful contemporaryartist life nowadays. Soka Art has been representing Mao Xuhui since 2009 and participating the 2009 Art Hong Kong and Art Basel Hong Kong since the first year. This is the first time Mao Xuhui has a solo exhibition in ABHK. We would like to take this opportunity to introduce this well-established artist to Art Basel Hong Kong audiences. The exhibition will open to VIP from 22 to 23, the public from 24 to 26 March 2016 at the Convention Hall, Soka Art (Booth number 1B01).

Exhibition Works: