Critical Review
Fang Lijun: Doing what's right for your life
2023.10.18
Fang Lijun: Doing what's right for your life Interview / Chestnut Fang Lijun's solo exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum Oxford, opens as he turns 60. As "an important symbol of the Chinese cultural scene," the exhibition "Portraits and Porcelain" is both an important creative conclusion and a gift. Since taking the lead on the world stage in 1993, Fang Lijun has done dozens of solo and group exhibitions internationally over the past 30 years. This exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum Oxford, which has been in preparation for five years now, is also Fang Lijun's first solo exhibition in a British public institution. As an important witness to Chinese contemporary art, Fang Lijun turned 60 this year. On October 14, 2023, Fang Lijun's solo exhibition "Portraits and Porcelain" opened at the Ashmolean Museum Oxford. The museum is the world's first public museum, which gives the exhibition a different significance. After working in a variety of media, including oil painting, ink, woodblock prints, ceramics, and porcelain, this solo exhibition brings together the artist's iconic works from the late 1970s onward. Shelagh Vainker serves as the curator of the exhibition. She is an Associate Professor in Chinese Art, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford and Curator of Chinese Art, Ashmolean Museum. As brand support, Luzhou Laojiao·Guojiao 1573 joins hands with Fang Lijun to pay tribute to contemporary Chinese art, while Clouds Intelligence and Triumph Gallery provide exhibition support. Ceramics and ink, these are the two main focuses of this exhibition. Previous retrospectives focusing on these two media have been shown in cities such as Guangzhou and Macau. This solo exhibition in the UK is based on the mediums, and the way it is laid out is also unique. Fang Lijun's iconic ink portraits are spread out on a four-meter-high wall, coincidentally aligned with the display in the studio; the ceramics are displayed for the first time in the manner of a museum exhibition of ancient artifacts, with descriptive exhibition labels, works, and manuscripts arranged in an orderly fashion along the glass, booths, and walls, in contrast to the ceramics on display in the China gallery-the Ashmolean has the largest collection of early celadon porcelain outside of China. Fang Lijun admits that when he first envisioned the exhibition, he did not anticipate that it would be accomplished in such a diverse way. The Ashmolean Museum wanted a more complete review of the artist's creative journey, and in the final presentation, a simple vision was expanded and elongated. Since 2023, Fang Lijun has done six exhibitions. On the occasion of the artist's 60th year, the exhibition is a most special gift. Chestnuts has a conversation with Fang Lijun and Shelagh Vainker at the Ashmolean Museum Oxford. Dialogue - Artist Fang Lijun: Doing what is right for your life Chestnut: You have been preparing for this exhibition for five years, were there any special considerations in terms of the scale, quantity and materials of the works? Fang Lijun: The curators wanted to show a relatively complete history of an artist, so they chose the most important works from each period on the basis of matching the space. This exhibition includes works in different media, as well as the latest color-glazed ceramic paintings. Although the exhibition space is not large, the content of the works included is very comprehensive. Chestnut: Since the 1990s, you have frequently held solo exhibitions at home and abroad, what are your expectations and anticipations for this exhibition? Fang Lijun: I am 60 years old this year, and I have done more than 60 solo exhibitions so far. This exhibition is my first solo exhibition in a public institution in the UK, which is of great significance. On the other hand, this exhibition is also part of my regular work. In my own understanding, this process is like climbing a staircase, step by step, to reach today. I have already done six exhibitions this year, and I will present more in the future. Chestnut: Since the 1990s, you have frequently held solo exhibitions at home and abroad, what are your expectations and anticipations for this exhibition? Fang Lijun: I don't have such a feeling, I think it's quite pleasant and relaxing. To be able to find a suitable way of expressing oneself and living in this life is something to celebrate and brag about. I'm doing okay so far, and it looks like it's going to get better. There are possibilities within life and it will have its ups and downs, but I prefer the happy and relaxed side. Chestnut: When defining an artist, there are often "labels" that we use to recognize the artist. The first thing that strikes me about you is your "openness". Fang Lijun: Everything should be in its place. For example, the heart, for example, should be placed inside, not outside, should not be thrown out, so can not be nothing to let me pull out my heart, to "throw" it out. Chestnut: So you "dump" what's going on inside you into your creations? Fang Lijun: Yes, that's an apt description. Chestnut: You have always been a particularly driven artist, with an inner force that propels you forward. What exactly is this force? Fang Lijun: Instead of innovation and power, I prefer to say that if a person enjoys his or her work, he or she will definitely devote more time to it. If one can get pleasure inside his work, he will definitely not stop, which is a very important process. Chestnut: Your recent works focus more on the people around you, do you still incorporate social concerns and reflections into your works? Fang Lijun: For me, it's not a question of "will or won't". Some artists try to separate their works from reality as much as possible, which is a very good strategy. This is a very good strategy. However, if I were to make a work that has nothing to do with myself, I would not be able to do it at the moment. Whether it is focusing on the people around me or society, it is related to my own life. Until now, I am still trying hard, even though I don't know if this is the right direction and what kind of result it will be. But I've always felt that it's a shame to spend your life doing something that has nothing to do with your own life.
Chestnut: What is the main line of this exhibition? Shelagh Vainker: The exhibition focuses on works created by Fang Lijun in recent years, which can prove that an artist who has been famous for a long time and made a name for himself in the art world is still very creative and still working. In terms of medium, the focus is more on ceramics and ink. With this exhibition we hope to introduce Fang Lijun's work to an international audience. Although he is already internationally known, it is rare for the public to see his work in person in the UK and this is an invaluable opportunity to do so. Chestnut: How do you evaluate Fang Lijun's ceramics? Shelagh Vainker: In the display case opposite Fang Lijun's ceramic panel paintings, there are ceramics from the Ming and Qing dynasties of ancient China, which demonstrate the innovation and development of ceramic craftsmanship at different stages. In other sections of the Ashmolean, ceramics from the Netherlands, Portugal, England, Japan, and other regions are also displayed, demonstrating the diverse forms that ceramics have taken in different regions over the centuries. But observing Fang Lijun's work, I think he created an entirely new technique. These porcelain panel paintings are painted with glazes and use special techniques to highlight the linear traces in the work that I have never seen before in ceramics. What looks like a finished work is highly experimental, exploring the properties and limits of the material. Chestnut: How do you evaluate Fang Lijun's ink works? Shelagh Vainker: The high degree of experimentation and innovation in ceramics is also reflected in Fang Lijun's ink paintings. In terms of form and medium, these works are indeed completed by traditional ink, but in terms of presentation, they are completely different from the traditional. He adds color to the black-and-white tone, and his painting style has a more free-flowing character, making the qualities of the figures in his paintings stand out even more prominently. Chestnut: What are the commonalities between Fang Lijun's artistic creations in different media? |