 “Becoming” is a group exhibition by Qiu Xiaofei, Shen Liang, Li Jikai and Chen Ke that focuses on the artists’ personal journeys. All four artists are inspired by memories and images that continue to resonate with them from childhood objects and experiences, exploring the transition and transformation of the nostalgic within the context of the present - each presenting a different understanding of China, the world, and the artists' place within both.
Chinese contemporary art, as it has so often been presented in the West, conjures up notions of irony and bridled cynicism. By blending images symbolic of China's bitter, post-1949 political history with the American/European visual discourse spanning roughly the same period, many Chinese artists born in the 1950's and 60's have left an indelible impression on viewers worldwide. However, these concerns no longer dominate contemporary Chinese cultural dialogue the way they once did. China's younger generation of artists have largely replaced this debate over the political past with an awareness of individual history, investigating the complex relationship between the artists’ personal histories, present realities and visions of the future. Focusing on the self, they examine their states of being, questioning and positing the responsibilities of the individual in modern China --- a nation that is itself hurtling towards self-definition. Such a change in the artistic climate echoes the shift in Chinese social structure from collectivism in a fractured world to individualism amidst the globalized connectivity of the 21st Century. The work of Qiu Xiaofei, Shen Liang, Li Jikai and Chen Ke, all born in the 1970s, marks a significant shift in the unfolding vocabulary of Chinese contemporary art. “Becoming” features four of the most prominent Chinese artists of this generation.
Where: DF2 Gallery
314 N. Crescent Heights
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323)782-9404 or visit: www.df2gallery.com
When: Now showing until June 21 Price: Free | 
