Chinese Artist at Arario Gallery
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Chinese artist Li Jikai is one of the young, rising stars in the Chinese contemporary art scene. Korean art lovers will have a chance to see Li's works at a solo exhibit at Arario Gallery, Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, through Jan. 24.
Li received critical acclaim during his solo exhibit at the Today Art Museum in Beijing earlier this year, and collectors are beginning to notice his works. Paintings recently sold for record prices at the Hong Kong Sotheby's auction of contemporary Chinese art last month. ``Paddling'' sold for more than $79,000, while ``Fire'' sold for $45,000.
At Arario Gallery, 25 of Li's works including ``A Pagoda with Seven Floors,'' ``The End of World No.1,'' and ``Break Out of Soil No.1'' are on display.
``In contrast to his fellow contemporary artists' propagandistic art, Li Jikai delves into the fundamental question on the existence of human beings and expresses the loneliness present in the lives of modern men,'' the gallery said, in a statement.
Li tells a deeply personal story in his paintings, where he includes a solitary character that represents himself. He explores his own sub-conscious and asks the universal questions: ``Who am I?'' ``Where do I come from?'' and ``Where am I headed?''
``Li depicts himself as Peter Pan in Neverland; however, in his paintings one can witness a sense of isolation, loneliness, fear, anxiety, and unavoidable encounters with reality as the artist realizes that the age of purity has already passed,'' the gallery said.
Li explores the themes of loneliness and confusion in his often dream-like and cartoonish paintings. A little boy is shown shedding tears in ``Crying,'' while in ``Sleeping Mountain,'' the boy is shown lying atop a mountain ledge. In ``Broken Woods,'' the little white character is standing in the middle of scraps of wood.
``Separating himself from the major trend of 21st century Chinese contemporary art where issues of collective political identity form the main subject matter, Li Jikai retrospectively examines his life in this way. In his art is a mysterious balance between violence and sensitivity, softness and poignancy,'' the gallery said.
Li was born in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China in 1975. He received a masters degree from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 20004. Li, who currently lives in Wuhan, teaches in the animation department of Hubei Academy of Fine Art.
Admission is 3,000 won for adults and 2,000 won for 7 to 18-year-olds. The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www.arariogallery.co.kr or call (041) 551-5100 or 5101.