When it comes to mentioning the famous local female oil painter, the name of Liu Jingmei is definitely indispensable. Audiences often see her figure in different oil painting exhibitions. However, in this exhibition presented by Art Next Gallery this time, not only did they exhibit Liu Jingmei’s works, but they also combined the works of her sister, local exhibition-empowered artist Liu Dongmei, spanning from 1998 to 2005, bringing the third joint exhibition of the two sisters after a 10-year gap!
The theme of this exhibition is “Carefree,” inspired by Liao Jingmei’s interpretation of the quote by artist Robert Henri: “There is an artist in everyone’s heart. When that artist is awakened, the world becomes a better place. When it is lost, the world stagnates.” Over the past few years, trapped by the epidemic, she has chosen to find an outlet for life through art.
Liao Jingmei is knowledgeable and graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts. She later obtained a Master of Arts degree from the Surikov Institute of Art in Russia, and then taught at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. She excels in painting oil paintings and prints, blending realistic techniques with abstract visual spaces to present a unique painting style that bridges reality and illusion.
In this exhibition, she uses intense, contrasting colors to capture the carefree scenes of her childhood: such as in “Happy Times”, the dots of deep and light yellow, warm and bright like a typical woman, highlighting the joy in the hearts of children on the carousel; “Doll” series, “Cloth Tiger”, “Mid-Autumn Festival”, “Across the Shore”, “Leisurely”, “Red Classic”, with children’s toys as the main subject, simple composition, delicate painting overflowing with abundant emotions, reminiscent of the beautiful childhood memories.
Mei Mei Liao Dongmei suffers from congenital cerebral palsy, but it does not stop her passion for art. She has been painting since 1992, mainly using colored ink. This series of works documents her spiritual quest, with two pieces from the “Mask” series being her response to looking into her own heart; “Perseverance” fully reveals the painter’s indomitable spirit in the face of physical constraints; “Friend” uses objects to symbolize people, showing the painter’s steadfast support for friendship; “Mountain Rain” and “Christmas Flowers” symbolically showcase the subject matter, with rich expressive power.
Artists express their feelings about life through the skill of painting, and through their creations, they maintain the freedom to express their souls. Feel free to visit the exhibition and experience the beauty brought by Liao Jingmei and Liao Dongmei’s sharing of reality.
“Carefree – Works by Liao Jingmei and Liao Dongmei” Exhibition
Date: June 9 to June 24, 2022 (Closed on weekends)
Time: 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Location: New Art Wave Gallery, Room 201, 2/F, Tung Chee Building, 86-90 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Image source and learn more: Art Next Gallery
