Meeting You Li Wei&Liu Zhiyin Solo Exhibition 2014.10.11 - 11.06 PREFACE WORKS SCENE TEXT	□ Ultimate Pureness and Sincerity – Li Wei & Liu Zhiyin Hu Tingting The first time I met with Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin, was in a café in 798. Before the interview, I did some homework about couples in art community: Unlike Qu Guangci and Xiang Jing - they remained independent thinking in their respective fields; also different from Shen Liang and Xu Hualing - trying different ways of creativity. From 2006 till now, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin has chosen to set up their own studio together, drafting together, designing together and creating together. Eight years has passed just like this, but the road ahead is still very long...... Ultimate Pureness and Sincerity – Li Wei & Liu Zhiyin The first time I met with Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin, was in a café in 798. Before the interview, I did some homework about couples in art community: Unlike Qu Guangci and Xiang Jing - they remained independent thinking in their respective fields; also different from Shen Liang and Xu Hualing - trying different ways of creativity. From 2006 till now, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin has chosen to set up their own studio together, drafting together, designing together and creating together. Eight years has passed just like this, but the road ahead is still very long...... Meeting the right person is lucky, perhaps that means, no matter how much experience and toughening the external life has brought to you, there is always somebody to company . From Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin 's eyesight, I could always read cherishing. During the conversation, they inadvertently recalled every little thing about each other: "Liu Zhiyin majored in fashion designing, she once won the national costume newcomer award. " "Whenever we came across an inspiration of creativity, that was the happiest moment for us. " "This summer, two of us spent more than one month in the casting factory under the temperature of more than 40 degrees. " "A lot of the times, one of eye contact, or one single word, can tell all we thought. " Not only as work partners, but also as soul mates in life, it is right this privity that makes them closer and closer. "One day, it happened when I looked outside the bus window, a young and shy girl sent the flowers hidden behind to her mother who was just getting off the bus. " This picture lingered in Li Wei 's mind for a long time, until only feeling remained was touched. At then, Liu Zhiyin’s sensitivity could always pull out Li Wei who is all-too-rational, taking off the coat complex, return to the subtle details. They strive for precision since sampling, endow the work with double high standards until finished, they was thinking about the same thing in their mind. This is the story behind the work Meeting You. There are so many similar details in their life, do you still remember the moving stop-motioned in the moment? With their delicate sensitivity about life, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin have given their works touching attribute which flows into people’s heart. In the recent two years, beside their own jobs, most of their time was spent in the creation and discovery of life in their eyes. They said now they could finally apply the ideas saved for years on every piece of works comparing to the starting few years. Behind this enthusiasm, is a simplifying process coupling with repeated deliberation. Li Wei’s solid sculpture skills, and the study into classical schematism in graduate school, are both incarnated in their works. The delicate handling skills of characters in Ancient Rome sculpture, was translated by Li & Liu onto figures in between cartoon and concrete characters, forming a unique style of their own. Liu Zhiyin, who had studied costume designing in college, was born with a great sense about beautiful things. In character modeling, like in the stubborn lips, mydriasis and minimalism in all body language, classical allusion are combined with fashionable taste. Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin has been together for 13 years, and nearly 8 years of partnership. Along the way, whenever who was confued and wandering, they were always there for each other supporting and comforting. They said: "One day we get old, we can still watch the these works displaying at hom, that is happiness. " It is because this mutual companionship and understanding that they could get through the straitened circumstances in the beginning. To them, the satisfaction brought by collaboration is far greater than the pressure of life. Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin are both graduates from Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, with broadening vision, the confidence coming with experience make them have the certainty that they can also create their own style in Dalian. From the name of Waiting Alone, Little Secrets in the Moonlight, Tuberose, Seemingly Beautiful, Juicy Peach, you can tranquilly recall the image of each piece. Like a poem without content, it only tells you the beginning, you can finish the ending following your heart. This is perhaps the unique interpretation belonging to art. Before Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin create every piece of work, they tend to start from their own life. Li & Liu search for the peculiar temperament only belonging to our age and the inner world in the crowd, and conduct self-analysis, then create a work combining with self-sensation. If placing one of the works in the exhibition hall, waiting for the streamline produced by light projection on the works, there seems to be a pair of creating hands modeling them. In these works which seem like cartoon characters, we could always sense that a child who reveals a sorrowful emotion is searching for something . Li Wei, who comes from Shanxi, leaves his first impression as sturdy and honest, kind of like Kung Fu Panda. Liu Zhiyin, who’s from Liaoning, there is a kind of intellectual beauty in her, she doesn 't talk much, but sounds gentle and soft. Li Wei often describes their relationship as sense and sensibility. But when the rather rational Li Wei met animation, he couldn’t help falling in love with it, it was a normal state that he repeated playing a cartoon for several times, until finally the story was kept in his mind. Whenever this happened, Liu Zhiyin would give Li Wei enough space and time, letting him enjoy himself. Hearing this, it’s not difficult for me to imagine that there is a boy inside his heart who never grows old. Three years ago, their child came to their life, as a mother, Liu Zhiyin, always takes care of two of her favorite “children”, with her tender and consideration. The innocence of their child is what they want to guard. Finding the world belonging to them, is the direction that they keep making effort to. Keeping their heart sincere in tranquility, staying far away from the prosperity of the capital city, looking for peace in the heart, these are what they try to convey through their works. With a perspective as of children, Li and Liu endeavour to carve out the states of mind of modern people. Some people say: "This pureness can be found only after you let go your attachment to bustling city and the grime inside. " Li Wei & Liu Zhiyin, who were sitting right across me, were so nice and without affectation. Through their eyes, I saw they belong to each other. "How do you protect this little world between you two? " I asked curiously, " For so many years, we also experienced a lot, but every time when we were together, that exhaustion could be adjusted as enjoyment. " Renowned curator Ms. Lu Rongzhi, she became the first collector of their works, she described it as "beauty with innocence ", showed no stingy about her affection to their works. Another collector, who’s with financial professions, found consolation that he/she can rely on. Similar feedbacks have so many, whenever Li Wei& Liu Zhiyin received these reflections, they got the driving power for creation. They knew it wasn’t easily come by, the pressure also built-up shortly. They couldn’t recall how many times they forgot to go home on time, even in the intense heat of summer they also picked up the welding gun to work...... "Let’s go for a trip after this while of busyness? " Liu Zhiyin spoke to Li Wei caringly. It is right this persistence and hard work sticking to the artistic career that makes them feel the care and devotion of each other along the way, also keeps them away from any quarreling in 13 years of time. A peaceful mind, is always in our self nature, just we temporarily leave it in the corner. It is like the sun you see every day, don’t need us to "believe " there is a sun existing. Trying to do subtraction in their own works, over the years Li & Liu has been looking for that nature in themselves. By their own hands and persistence, they keep searching for the purest figure, through it, once again reminding us of the existence of the "sun ". In Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin 's works, along with the growth of each other, the inner world given to the works is increasingly mature. Baby character keeps growing up in their hands, you can see the figure of youngster has appeared. In different stages, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin constantly brought all kinds of surprises to their creations. With the subtraction on material, the figures coming from their hands is no longer limited to person, it could be a waterfall in Splash, or the bowknot on a little girl’s head. Rather sheer material like stainless steel, outdoor scenes which can blend into the environment, are both opening up a new creative thinking for their future. Until the interview was coming to an end, Liu Zhiyin was sitting quietly beside Li Wei, only when I refered to her, she would add a few words. Like in their work, whenever they encounter a stage that they failed to make headway, they would choose to put worries aside, until the question was thought through. Everytime a new work is finished, there is always someone to share the joy with you. They said: "As long as each other is here, there is a reason to insist on. " Walking on the way coming back, the attachment between Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin touched me far greater than the works. From them, I remind myself not to forget my heart of utter innocence, the pureness and sincerity is most valuable.
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Meeting You
Li Wei&Liu Zhiyin Solo Exhibition
2014.10.11 - 11.06

□ Ultimate Pureness and Sincerity – Li Wei & Liu Zhiyin

Hu Tingting

The first time I met with Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin, was in a café in 798. Before the interview, I did some homework about couples in art community: Unlike Qu Guangci and Xiang Jing - they remained independent thinking in their respective fields; also different from Shen Liang and Xu Hualing - trying different ways of creativity. From 2006 till now, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin has chosen to set up their own studio together, drafting together, designing together and creating together. Eight years has passed just like this, but the road ahead is still very long......
Ultimate Pureness and Sincerity – Li Wei & Liu Zhiyin

The first time I met with Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin, was in a café in 798. Before the interview, I did some homework about couples in art community: Unlike Qu Guangci and Xiang Jing - they remained independent thinking in their respective fields; also different from Shen Liang and Xu Hualing - trying different ways of creativity. From 2006 till now, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin has chosen to set up their own studio together, drafting together, designing together and creating together. Eight years has passed just like this, but the road ahead is still very long......

Meeting the right person is lucky, perhaps that means, no matter how much experience and toughening the external life has brought to you, there is always somebody to company . From Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin 's eyesight, I could always read cherishing. During the conversation, they inadvertently recalled every little thing about each other: "Liu Zhiyin majored in fashion designing, she once won the national costume newcomer award. " "Whenever we came across an inspiration of creativity, that was the happiest moment for us. " "This summer, two of us spent more than one month in the casting factory under the temperature of more than 40 degrees. " "A lot of the times, one of eye contact, or one single word, can tell all we thought. " Not only as work partners, but also as soul mates in life, it is right this privity that makes them closer and closer.

"One day, it happened when I looked outside the bus window, a young and shy girl sent the flowers hidden behind to her mother who was just getting off the bus. " This picture lingered in Li Wei 's mind for a long time, until only feeling remained was touched. At then, Liu Zhiyin’s sensitivity could always pull out Li Wei who is all-too-rational, taking off the coat complex, return to the subtle details. They strive for precision since sampling, endow the work with double high standards until finished, they was thinking about the same thing in their mind. This is the story behind the work Meeting You. There are so many similar details in their life, do you still remember the moving stop-motioned in the moment? With their delicate sensitivity about life, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin have given their works touching attribute which flows into people’s heart.

In the recent two years, beside their own jobs, most of their time was spent in the creation and discovery of life in their eyes. They said now they could finally apply the ideas saved for years on every piece of works comparing to the starting few years. Behind this enthusiasm, is a simplifying process coupling with repeated deliberation. Li Wei’s solid sculpture skills, and the study into classical schematism in graduate school, are both incarnated in their works. The delicate handling skills of characters in Ancient Rome sculpture, was translated by Li & Liu onto figures in between cartoon and concrete characters, forming a unique style of their own. Liu Zhiyin, who had studied costume designing in college, was born with a great sense about beautiful things. In character modeling, like in the stubborn lips, mydriasis and minimalism in all body language, classical allusion are combined with fashionable taste.

Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin has been together for 13 years, and nearly 8 years of partnership. Along the way, whenever who was confued and wandering, they were always there for each other supporting and comforting. They said: "One day we get old, we can still watch the these works displaying at hom, that is happiness. " It is because this mutual companionship and understanding that they could get through the straitened circumstances in the beginning. To them, the satisfaction brought by collaboration is far greater than the pressure of life. Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin are both graduates from Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, with broadening vision, the confidence coming with experience make them have the certainty that they can also create their own style in Dalian.

From the name of Waiting Alone, Little Secrets in the Moonlight, Tuberose, Seemingly Beautiful, Juicy Peach, you can tranquilly recall the image of each piece. Like a poem without content, it only tells you the beginning, you can finish the ending following your heart. This is perhaps the unique interpretation belonging to art. Before Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin create every piece of work, they tend to start from their own life. Li & Liu search for the peculiar temperament only belonging to our age and the inner world in the crowd, and conduct self-analysis, then create a work combining with self-sensation. If placing one of the works in the exhibition hall, waiting for the streamline produced by light projection on the works, there seems to be a pair of creating hands modeling them. In these works which seem like cartoon characters, we could always sense that a child who reveals a sorrowful emotion is searching for something .

Li Wei, who comes from Shanxi, leaves his first impression as sturdy and honest, kind of like Kung Fu Panda. Liu Zhiyin, who’s from Liaoning, there is a kind of intellectual beauty in her, she doesn 't talk much, but sounds gentle and soft. Li Wei often describes their relationship as sense and sensibility. But when the rather rational Li Wei met animation, he couldn’t help falling in love with it, it was a normal state that he repeated playing a cartoon for several times, until finally the story was kept in his mind. Whenever this happened, Liu Zhiyin would give Li Wei enough space and time, letting him enjoy himself. Hearing this, it’s not difficult for me to imagine that there is a boy inside his heart who never grows old. Three years ago, their child came to their life, as a mother, Liu Zhiyin, always takes care of two of her favorite “children”, with her tender and consideration.

The innocence of their child is what they want to guard. Finding the world belonging to them, is the direction that they keep making effort to. Keeping their heart sincere in tranquility, staying far away from the prosperity of the capital city, looking for peace in the heart, these are what they try to convey through their works. With a perspective as of children, Li and Liu endeavour to carve out the states of mind of modern people. Some people say: "This pureness can be found only after you let go your attachment to bustling city and the grime inside. " Li Wei & Liu Zhiyin, who were sitting right across me, were so nice and without affectation. Through their eyes, I saw they belong to each other. "How do you protect this little world between you two? " I asked curiously, " For so many years, we also experienced a lot, but every time when we were together, that exhaustion could be adjusted as enjoyment. "

Renowned curator Ms. Lu Rongzhi, she became the first collector of their works, she described it as "beauty with innocence ", showed no stingy about her affection to their works. Another collector, who’s with financial professions, found consolation that he/she can rely on. Similar feedbacks have so many, whenever Li Wei& Liu Zhiyin received these reflections, they got the driving power for creation. They knew it wasn’t easily come by, the pressure also built-up shortly. They couldn’t recall how many times they forgot to go home on time, even in the intense heat of summer they also picked up the welding gun to work...... "Let’s go for a trip after this while of busyness? " Liu Zhiyin spoke to Li Wei caringly. It is right this persistence and hard work sticking to the artistic career that makes them feel the care and devotion of each other along the way, also keeps them away from any quarreling in 13 years of time.

A peaceful mind, is always in our self nature, just we temporarily leave it in the corner. It is like the sun you see every day, don’t need us to "believe " there is a sun existing. Trying to do subtraction in their own works, over the years Li & Liu has been looking for that nature in themselves. By their own hands and persistence, they keep searching for the purest figure, through it, once again reminding us of the existence of the "sun ". In Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin 's works, along with the growth of each other, the inner world given to the works is increasingly mature. Baby character keeps growing up in their hands, you can see the figure of youngster has appeared. In different stages, Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin constantly brought all kinds of surprises to their creations. With the subtraction on material, the figures coming from their hands is no longer limited to person, it could be a waterfall in Splash, or the bowknot on a little girl’s head. Rather sheer material like stainless steel, outdoor scenes which can blend into the environment, are both opening up a new creative thinking for their future.

Until the interview was coming to an end, Liu Zhiyin was sitting quietly beside Li Wei, only when I refered to her, she would add a few words. Like in their work, whenever they encounter a stage that they failed to make headway, they would choose to put worries aside, until the question was thought through. Everytime a new work is finished, there is always someone to share the joy with you. They said: "As long as each other is here, there is a reason to insist on. " Walking on the way coming back, the attachment between Li Wei and Liu Zhiyin touched me far greater than the works. From them, I remind myself not to forget my heart of utter innocence, the pureness and sincerity is most valuable.

□ Ultimate Pureness and Sincerity – Li Wei & Liu Zhiyin

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