Liu Shiming

Liu Shiming
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Born	1926
Died	2010
Nationality	Chinese
Citizenship	China
Occupation	Artist

Liu Shiming (born Tianjin, China; 1926 - 24 May, 2010) was a Chinese sculpture artist. He was the first generation of representative Chinese contemporary sculpture artists. He is well known for his sculpture works Measuring Land (1950), and Cutting Through Mountains to Bring in Water (1959), and Ansai Waist Drummer(1989). Liu graduated from China Central Academy of Fine Arts.

Life

Born in an intellectual family in Tianjin, the family moved to Tangshan in 1931 where Liu attended Fulun Primary School. In 1935, Liu moved back to Tianjin, and continued his studies at the First Primary School. Liu Shiming was admitted to the National Art School in Beiping (now the China Central Academy of Fine Arts) in 1946, one of the three earliest art academies in China. During his time at school, he was mentored by early Chinese artists such as Wang Linyi, Hua Tianyou, and Zeng Zhushao.In addition to intensive classical training, he studied modern French theory and technique, particularly the teachings of Auguste Rodin.

His work Measuring Land (1950) was the first sculpture to be exhibited abroad after the founding of new China, and was recognized and collected by the National Museum of Czechoslovak (now the Czech National Museum). In 1953, Liu was selected to join the relief group of the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tian'anmen, and participated in the early work of the "Jintian Upsrising" relief. In 1955, he was transferred to the China Sculpture Art Factory (later changed to the Sculpture Art Institute of CAFA) and completed the work "Splitting the Mountains to Let the Water Flow" (also known as Cutting Through Mountains to Bring in Water) in 1959. Liu's work was displayed on behalf of China in the "Plastic Arts Exhibition by Socialist Countries" in the Soviet Union.

Despite his success in Beijing, Liu Shiming gave up the admiration he had garnered since graduating from CAFA. In 1961, having become enthralled with the slow rhythms of Henan opera, he requested permission to leave Beijing for Henan, later applying for a transfer to Baoding, Hebei. Liu left Beijing in the 1960s and continued his work in art museums and art institutes in Henan and Hebei province. After 1974, he retired early and returned to Beijing. Later, he worked in the National Museum of Chinese History (now the National Museum of China) for more than ten years on the restoration of cultural relics, which provided him with direct access to a large number of original traditional Chinese sculptures. This job had a great influence on Liu's style. He taught at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1980.

Liu Shiming's works are simple yet full of emotion and childishness. As Prof. Robert C. Morgan wrote, "Despite his recent success, Liu Shiming never lost his interest or devotion to traditional folk art. Rather than sculpture that aspired to attract followers of western modernism, Liu's primary audience came from everyday working class people living in rural areas.”

On June 28, 2018, Liu Shiming Sculpture Art Museum was established in Xiaoying Campus of Central Academy of Fine Arts, China.

In 2021, the Liu Shiming Art Foundation was founded in New York, United States.

Art Works

Solo Exhibition

• Liu Shiming Exhibition (the Corridor Gallery of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing 1998)

• Indigenous Sculptures: Liu Shiming Solo Exhibition (Sculpture Art Institute of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing 2005)
• Liberal Wormwood—Liu Shiming's Solo Exhibition of Sculptures (National Art Museum of China, Beijing 2006)
• Dream Back Home: Liu Shiming’s Solo Exhibition of Sculptures (Henan Art Museum, Henan 2008)
• Departure and Return: Liu Shiming’s Sculpture (Asian Cultural Center, New York City|New York 2019)
• Kindness Expresses Truth and Love: Liu Shiming’s Sculpture (Asian Fusion Gallery, Washington, D.C. 2019)
• Souls in the Clay: Liu Shiming’s Sculpture (Liu Shiming Sculpture Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts|CAFA, Beijing 2019)
• Liu Shiming: A Chinese Original" New Year Sculpture Exhibition (The Oculus, World Trade Center (2001–present)|World Trade Center, New York 2020)
• Liu Shiming Exhibition at Gallery RIIVAA (Roosevelt Island, 2022)
• PASSAGES: SCULPTURE BY LIU SHIMING (Queens College, City University of New York|Godwin-Ternbach Museum at Queens College, 2022)
• "Cutting Through Mountains to Bring Water: The Sculptures of Liu Shiming"(Welch Gelleries, Georgia State University, 2022)
• Celebrating Chinese Sculptor Liu Shiming: Exhibition Reception and Scholarship Dedication (Margie E. West Gallery, 2023)

Group Exhibition

• Prague: World Student Gathering Art Exhibition ("Measuring Land "was exhibited, Beijing 1950)
• Volunteers Capturing the Wounded US Soldier (Xinhua Bookstore in Wangfujing, Beijing 1951)
• Plastic Arts Exhibition by Socialist Countries ("Cutting Through Mountains to Bring in Water" was exhibited, Soviet Union 1959)
• Jiao Yulu Exhibition ("Jiao Yulu" statue was exhibited, Zhengzhou 1966)
• 6th National Exhibition of Fine Arts ( "Cormorants" was selected, Beijing 1984)
• National Sculpture Design Exhibition ("Towards the Sun" was selected, Beijing 1984)
• July 1st Art Exhibition ("Under the Tree" was selected, Beijing 1986)
• Gansu Urban Sculpture Planning Exhibition ( "The Soaring Yellow River" and "Silk Road: The Camel" were selected, Gansu 1988)
• 7th National Exhibition of Fine Arts ("Ansai Waist Drummer" was selected, Beijing 1989)
• Asian Games Art Exhibition ( "Practicing Child" was selected, 1990)
• Art Exhibition for the 50th Anniversary of the "Speech at the Yan'an Forum of Literature and Art" ( "Eternal Love: The Continuation of Life" was selected, Beijing 1992)
• 8th National Exhibition of Fine Arts ("Boatmen on the Yellow River" was selected, Beijing 1993)
• National Ceramic Art Touring Exhibition and European Touring Exhibition ("Boatmen on Yellow River" was selected, Beijing 1997)
• 9th National Exhibition of Fine Arts ("Mother" was selected, Beijing 1999)
• The exhibition program at Tsinghua University, which included a series of large-scale painting and calligraphy activities celebrating the 90th anniversary of Tsinghua University (work was selected, Beijing 2000)
• the "Contemporary Artists Exhibition" at the National Museum of Chinese History (work was selected, Beijing 2001)
• The 5th National Sports Art Exhibition (work was selected, Beijing 2001)
• 2002 China Beijing International Urban Sculpture Exhibition (work was selected, Beijing 2002)
• "Cornerstone: Developments in 60 Years" Exhibition of Oil Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking (the work "Man with Boat and Cormorants" was selected, Beijing 2009)
• "Painting the Chinese Dream: An Exhibition Celebrating the 65th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China" ("Cutting Through Mountains to Bring in Water" was exhibited, Beijing 2014)
• "Where to Go" Sculpture Exhibition ("Boatmen on the Yellow River" and "Mountain Ghost" were exhibited, Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute, Shanghai 2015)
• the large-scale contemporary art exhibition "The Endless Life: The Narrative of the Yellow River" ("Boatmen on the Yellow River" and "Sheepskin Raft" were exhibited, 2020)
• "The Greatest Changes in the Past 100 Years": The Sculpture Artworks Exhibition at the National Museum of China ("Cutting Through Mountains to Bring in Water", "Sheepskin Raft" and other works were exhibited, Beijing 2021)

Collection

• In 1950, his graduation project "Measuring Land" was collected by the National Museum of Czechoslovak (now the National Museum (Prague)|Czech National Museum).
• In 1952, the small-size stone sculpture "Discharged from the Hospital" was collected by the National Art Museum of China.
• In 1955, the works "Bust of Monk Yixing" and "Bust of Zu Chongzhi" were collected by the National Museum of Chinese History.
• In 1959, the group sculpture "Shared Labor of Officers and Soldiers" and the statue "Henan Jiyuan Militia Crossing the River" were collected by the Military Museum of The Chinese People's Revolution.
• In 1959, the work "Splitting the Mountains to Let the Water Flow" was collected by Baoding Municipal Government.
• In 1985, the stone sculpture "Archer" was collected by Beijing Shijingshan Sculpture Park.
• In 1997, the work "Boatmen on the Yellow River" was collected by the Ministry of Culture.
• In 1999, his works "Ansai Waist Drummer", "Cutting Through Mountains to Bring in Water" and "Thick-back Woman" were collected by the National Museum of China|National Museum of Chinese History.
• In 2008, his works "Boatmen on the Yellow River" and "Performer Backstage" were collected by Henan Art Museum.
• In 2012, the work "Performer Backstage" was collected by the National Centre for the Performing Arts (China)|National Centre for the Performing Arts.
• In 2014, the work "Cutting Through Mountains to Bring in Water" was collected by the National Art Museum of China.
• In 2021, "Cutting Through Mountains to Bring in Water", "Sheepskin Raft", "Three Donkeys" and "Man with Boat and Cormorants" were collected by the National Museum of China.

Works Collected in Major Catalogues

• In 1999, his work was included in the art of 20th Century Chinese Urban Sculpture.
• In 1999, his work was included in the Beijing Urban Sculptures over 50 Years.
• In 2000, his work was included in the 21st Century Talent Pool.
• In 2000, his work "Cormorants on the Yellow River" was selected to be included in the book Chinese Art Today.
• In 2001, his work was included in the compilation of Chinese Contemporary Culture and Art Celebrities (Chinese Talent Pool: Literature and Art Volume).
• In 2001, his work was included in the Chinese Contemporary Literary Artists.
• In 2001, his work was included in the CD-ROM version of Catalogue of Contemporary Chinese Artists.
• In 2002, his work was included in the Century Collector's Edition of Experts of the People's Republic of China.
• In 2002, his work was included in the Chinese art|Art China: Chinese Art Documents Special.
• In 2008, his work was included in the compilation of Memorabilia of Chinese Fine Arts.
• In 2009, his work was included in the compilation of Pioneers of Seeking Truth: The Theory and Practice of the People's Republic of China in the Sixty Years' Development.

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