
In 2021, a group of friends, family members, and former colleagues of the renowned Chinese artist Liu Shiming (1926-2010) banded together to form the Liu Shiming Art Foundation, an organization dedicated to both preserving the artist’s legacy and furthering his dedication to the power of the arts. The Foundation has undertaken an ambitious program of granting scholarships to university students around the world with a goal of funding 100 scholarships per year. They also have opened a gallery space on 15 East 40th Street in Manhattan to showcase Mr. Liu’s work and eventually to showcase the work of pan-Asian artists.

The current exhibit, entitled Beijing Stories, pairs Mr. Liu delicate sculptures in ceramic and bronze with the photographs of contemporary photographer Lois Conner. It’s a fascinating combination. Ms. Conner’s photos, mostly shot from the late-1990’s through 2010, show us a very urban view of Beijing, with new construction, modern signage, and a bustling city, contrasting delightfully with Shiming’s earth-toned and modest scenes of family life. Many of Conner’s photos are luscious platinum prints whose rich tones glow and illuminate their subjects.

While Conner’s photos are relatively recent, the show acts as a de facto retrospective of Shiming’s work, spanning his earliest piece from 1958 through 2010. We can see how his gentle, humanistic worldview remained consistent throughout his life. This exhibition is a testament to the enduring power of humanism in art. Shiming truly believed that it was the small moments of existence – relations between parents and children, husbands and wives – that are the moments of purest poetry in our lives.

Liu Shiming’s profound artistic engagement with the human condition is arguably his greatest strength. His sculptures delve into the complexities of human emotions, experiences, and struggles with remarkable sensitivity and empathy. He captured the essence of the human spirit, from the joys and sorrows of everyday life to the profound impact of historical and social events.
There are many portraits of Shiming’s beloved grandson, Mengmeng. His love for the child shines out from the work. The sculptures are affectionate and often whimsical. The little boy is standing on his head or comically contorting his body. He captures both the joy of the child and the joy of loving.

His sculptures are gentle and contemplative. They ask us to pause and meditate upon the importance of observation – of a gesture, an embrace, the stance of a rural farm worker. Liu’s reverence for ordinary people is fundamental to the emotional power of his work.

Shiming’s life spanned a momentous swath of the 20th Century. Born in 1926, he witnessed radical changes in Chinese society. From a privileged and well-educated background, he absorbed the histories of both Chinese and Western art. The result was a new genre of Chinese sculpture, a kind of mélange that combines the best of both Eastern and Western traditions. His work shows a deep reverence for the past; it draws from figurative work from Chinese folk traditions and combines it with a naturalism and humanism that is distantly Western. Shiming’s body of work has subtly but directly influenced the development of contemporary Chinese sculpture, itself a fusion of Eastern and Western traditions. His fluid methods of working with clay influenced a generation of artists who followed him. A video in the exhibition is filled with admiration and love from contemporary Chinese art professionals for whom he lives on as an inspiration.
This exhibition serves as a wonderful venue for introducing Shiming’s work to a new generation of artists and cementing his place in the development of Chinese art in the 21st century.

Beijing Stories runs through March 21st at Liu Shiming Art Gallery, 15 East 40th Street, 5th Floor
Courtesy of the Liu Shiming Art Foundation.