Lu Rongzhi
Encounter, we could say it’s an incident, perhaps it’s rather like the arrangement of fate.
Once, with full of ambitions, I headed north to Moon River in Tongzhou, Beijing, trying to build a contemporary art museum blended with tourism and leisure culture, cultivating a paradise worry-free for young artists in Beijing, where the talents gathered. However, global financial crisis struck in 2008, my program named Life is Art/ Art is Life in Contemporary Art+Art Hotel also terminated abruptly in the storm. It was in those days, I occasionally passed by Today Art Museum in Pingod community, visiting National Fine Art Exhibition for Young Artists, which was about to close then. In the rush pace, I suddenly glanced a small statue covered in almost pure white with an innocent look, what an unpretentious work, I was completely amazed by her beauty. So I zealously asked about the author 's background, that’s when I knew this was from a post-80s girl named Liu Zhiyin, and it was the first time in her life that she participated an Exhibition, her work Seemingly Beautiful was a really beauty, the idea that I wanted to own this work arose spontaneously, and I asked the curator about Liu Zhiyin’s contact, and finally got to own this purely innocent statue. After many years, I happened to know that I was the first collector of this young artist, couldn’t help gasping, what a coincedence, what a beautiful encounter!
Knowing Liu Zhiyin, I got to further understanding about her and her husband Li Wei, turned out they were a duo, two of them make a harmony pair. Li Wei& Liu Zhiyin live in Dalian, which is a very cold in the northeast of China, together they write their common chapters of life far from the chaos, so that they can create such pure and beautiful statues, in an indifferent and tranquil state. Sometimes there is a humorous look, sometimes you can sense an imperceptible treacherous expression, this kind of otherworldly temperament, the complex with both childishness and maturity, makes their jointly works full of charm. Later I couldn 't help collecting a second piece of their masterpiece, watching them creating more surprising new works, it seems that I have been inevitably becoming their lifelong fans.
Husband and wife duo work mode is a fairly common creative and business model in China contemporary art field, but it’s rare to see two people get along swimmingly with each other like them, that outsiders consider them as one. Li Wei was born in 1980, graduated from the Sculpture Department of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts with bachelor and master degree. Born in the same year, Liu Zhiyin also got both bachelor and master degree from Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, but she majored in Fashion Designing. Thus, they make a perfect match, Li Wei creates the body, Liu Zhiyin craves the shape, the shape gives the body essence and verve, while the body is where shape attaches, this relationship has to be a symbiosis, of which Li& Liu make a perfect interpretation.
The Birth of Venus is another peak of creation of them, no matter the pure, innocent and cute face, or the perfect ratio between the limbs and trunk, both say a praise to the self confidence in their youth, striking people’s heartstring. Little Star and The Youngster and Flowers obviously reveals the reminiscent of their youth, with a little of the only child’s pamper and a bit conceit of self-admiration. Liu Zhiyin’s fashion vocabulary and cartoon style modelling, blend in Li Wei’s plain and solid body, like in Amelie and Tuberose, which both perfectly interpret of the attachment to innocent and natural beauty in young people of this era, with a touch of sadness of time passing. The meaning of Rainbow, Little Pony Cross the River and Splash to this couple, is a special subject, fully reflects Li Wei’s expertise in modelling.
Art, for me, is always like a journey of love.
Love is beautiful, the attachment between me and Liu Zhiyin&Li Wei I hope it last forever.
This fetters is so amazing, but also a fascination!
