On September 6th, Mason Gross School of the Arts (MGSA) at Rutgers University, in partnership with the Liu Shiming Art Foundation, hosted a series of celebratory events in honor of the retrospective exhibition titled "Life Gives Beauty Form," commemorating the influential works of the esteemed Chinese sculptor, Liu Shiming. The event featured the awarding of the first Liu Shiming Scholarship at MSGA to BFA student Jonathan Wenur, a public reception, and the highlight was a panel discussion led by panelists Tamara Sears and John Yau, expertly moderated by Fran Kaufman, curator of the Liu Shiming Foundation.



The Dean of Mason Gross School of the Arts, Jason Geary, expressed his pride in facilitating this panel discussion and installation ceremony. The panelists, renowned figures in the realm of the arts, delved deep into the artistic legacy of Liu Shiming and his profound impact on modernism.

Tamara Sears, the former graduate director and an associate professor in the Art History department, emphasized Liu Shiming's distinctive artistry. She observed, “(Liu Shiming’s works) capture the poetry of everyday life, the sense of the beauty and the simplicity of everyday labor, but also the attentiveness to the way in which modernity, as well as history, is built on the labor of everyday people.” Sears further recognized Shiming's appreciation of ancient art as remnants of age-old practices and his focus on inherited traditional culture to shape his individualistic style.

Adding a contrasting perspective, John Yau, a renowned poet, critic, author, and professor at MGSA, described Liu Shiming as an intricate persona in the art world. He believes that Liu Shiming is multifaceted, which makes him and his work all the more captivating. It is diverse, echoing various sentiments. It's symbolic, allegorical, and even humorous. Yau remarked. In his view, Shiming is an artist who prioritizes spiritual depth over material pursuits in his sculpting journey.

A diverse array of attendees actively participated in a lively Q&A session, offering their valuable perspectives and expressing profound admiration for Liu Shiming's artistic contributions. Delving into the intricacies of Liu's work, they embarked on an exploration of the nuanced symbolism embedded within select art pieces. Additionally, participants engaged in thought-provoking conversations, drawing connections between Liu's sculptures and other creative realms, especially the world of music. As the event drew to a close, discussions turned toward potential themes for the next panel, which could delve into the intersection of art, diaspora, and migration.

Liu Shiming profoundly influenced Chinese modern art through his sculptures, which captured the essence of everyday life and the human spirit. Born in 1926, he began his artistic pursuits at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and quickly ascended as a major contributor to China's prominent public monuments. However, he moved to the Henan and Hebei countryside in the midst of these accomplishments, which deepened his connection to the subtleties of everyday life and the narratives of ordinary people. His alma mater established the Liu Shiming Sculpture Museum to honor his legacy, and his work has been exhibited in various international locations, including New York City, New Jersey, Washington D.C., and Cairo.

About The Liu Shiming Art Foundation

The Liu Shiming Art Foundation is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization which was founded in 2021 to preserve the works of acclaimed Chinese artist Liu Shiming, as well as for the advancement of the global discourse surrounding the arts, history and culture. The Fund aims to support art students and emerging artists by encouraging them to explore all forms of art, and to engage in a multicultural study of art history. Particularly, the Foundation hopes to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of Asian art forms, and to contextualize them within a global purview. Conceptualizing the creative process by focusing on a multicultural East and West perspective was fundamental to Liu Shiming's identity as an artist, and is consequently a central part of Foundation's identity. Fostering a sense of inclusiveness, the Liu Shiming Art Foundation hopes to remind artists of their power to create art that transcends time or place.

For more information about the exhibition on view, please check the website:

https://www.masongross.rutgers.edu/calendar-event/liu-shiming-life-gives-beauty-form/2023-07-31/

For more information on the work of the foundation, head to their website:

http://www.lsmartfund.org