December 23, 2007 6:12 pm

ni hao....ni de ye bu cuo- ni zai shanghai haishi beijing?

December 23, 2007 3:35 am

Chris Gill works as an artist, illustrator and journalist in Shanghai.
Born in the UK he grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa and came to China originally to study the Chinese language. He graduated from The University of Newcastle, and spent a year studying at the Peoples' University of China in Beijing.
The main theme of his art work is creating a visual diary of the changing society in China, using predominately painting, sculpture, and photography.
He trained and worked as a print maker in the UK. He opened his first studio in China in the old Summer Palace in 1992.Since then he has shown work in several group and solo shows across the country, and his work has been bought by collectors and galleries from as far afield as Australia and the Bahamas.
This year Shanghai Art Museum commissioned him to produce a visual essay about the city, called "City of Gold."
Why City of Gold? In world culture there is always an ‘Eldorado’ – a magical city that attracts fortune hunters from around the globe. Now it is Shanghai.
Shanghai is China’s commercial capital, that attracts people from around the country and the world. From the gold ingots sold on the streets of Shanghai to the government's Golden Shield project, gold is a predominant theme. And it is gold that draws the millions to this great city, where they hope to achieve the modern Chinese dream best expressed by former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping: "To be rich is glorious."
This series of paintings are about how this concept of gold is colouring and shaping social change. It explores several issues that have recently drawn my attention. One is the emergence and acceptance of the center as a controlling force. There is no rebellion against authority; people prefer to mould themselves to fit the "norms" of the new society as they are projected in fashion magazines, on the Internet and in popular TV shows.
Some go so far as to change themselves physically so they can conform. Plastic surgeons have never been in greater demand.
Personal aspirations take precedence over all else. Individual worth is measured by money and through comparisons with the highest tiers of capitalist society.
To see how this latest project progressed, see the artist's website: www.shanghaieye.net.

The exhibition will be held at the Shanghai Art Museum from November 17 to
November 26, 2007. To find out more, please contact Sylvia Xu
(sylviaxu@gmail.com).

Solo Exhibitions
1995 Beijing Sanlitun solo exhibition (with Red Gate gallery)
1996 Beijing Shangdi economic development district solo exhibition
1997 Solo exhibition, Zhuqizhan Art Museum Shanghai
1998 Solo exhibition, Ying Yang Club Shanghai
2002 Solo exhibition, Casj Shanghai
2006 Solo exhibition, Yaochao gallery, M50, Shanghai
2007 Solo exhibition (November), Shanghai Art Museum
Group exhibitions
1992-1993 Yuanmingyuan(Old Summer Palace)Beijing studio/exhibition
1994 Group exhibition. Old Tabernacle studios, South Shields, UK
1999 Group exhibition, Shanghart gallery, Shanghai
1999 "Dragon 2000" group painting, old French club, Shanghai
1999 "Just 5 minutes" group exhibition, Eastlink gallery Shanghai
2000 "Surfing 2000"group exhibition, Shanghai Fine Arts University art gallery
2001"Zero Point 21"group exhibition, Shanghai Normal University art gallery
2007 "Contemporary Art Scene and Urban Workshops" 696 Weihai Road and Doland Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai


李云飞，艺术家，插画作者，记者，现居上海
生 于英国，在非洲长大，１９９２年来到中国，在中国人民大学学习中文及东亚政治．其作品主题意在创造一部展现中国社会变化的视觉日记，创作形式有雕 塑，绘画，插图，摄影及文字作品．曾在英国从事织物设计及配色工作，１９９２年于北京圆明园租下在中国的第一个画室．在北京，上海等地举办多次个展及与当 地艺术家合作的群展．

个展　

1995 北京三里屯个展（与红门画廊合作）　

1996 北京上地经济开发区个展

1997 个展, 朱屺瞻美术馆，上海

1998　个展, Ying Yang Club，上海

2002 个展, Casj，上海

群展

1992 – 1993 北京圆明园画室小型展览.

1994 群展，南希尔茨，英国

1999 群展，香格纳画廊，上海

1999　"只要五分钟" 群展,东廊艺术，上海

1999　"龙在2000"，20位艺术家为庆祝千禧年现场创作

2000 　"冲浪 2000" 群展, 上海大学美术学院画廊

2001　"零点二十一"群展, 上海师范大学画廊
自述
一直以来，我都在作画，这是我的爱好，自九二年来到中国，亦始终在画。 多年来我游历中国各处，从一个城市到另一个城市，从一个省份去到另一个省份， 我的绘画也在稳步成熟。二十一岁来到中国，就读于中国人民大学，继而在此居住，转眼已近十五年。
十五年来积攒了大量的画作，它们也随我于中国各处迁移， 以至于我不得不对它们做一个取舍，丢的丢，留的留。
我不是职业画家，因而保留的皆是真正吸引我自己的画作，是一些我乐于欣赏的画作，是我自己的观察和亲身经历的轶事。 我着迷于画本及流行视觉艺术， 我的画作于我而言更像是我的日记， 记录着我在中国的生活和身边社会的变化。
我少年时在英国所学的人体临摹课程对我的画风影响极大 ， 人像在我的画作中扮演着重要角色。我对意大利未来主义作品有着很深的领悟，我看到未来主义运动的理念正与中国当今社会疾速的多元化及都市化发展不谋而合。 在一些抽象作品中我试图用未来主义的理念来表现光与运动，社会的疾速发展及其对人们的影响。 同时我也结合了中国传统绘画的理念与哲学， 我发现这非常有趣。我作品中的另一个脉络是色彩， 在南非的成长经历以及在英国担任配色师的经验使我更喜爱大胆用色。
1992年至1993年间， 我在北京圆明园安下了我的第一个画室。这是中国当代艺术发展中一个极其有趣的阶段， 自那时起我始终与中国当代艺术家保持着颇多联系， 其中几位艺术家朋友的作品与建议更对我有很大影响。
作为一名记者在中国工作近十年，这一经历使我能从更深的层面观察中国社会的变化， 这也体现在了我的作品当中。 但我毕竟只是个外国人， 我的观察当然也会因此而有所偏颇。

December 23, 2007 3:25 am

Visit my website:
www.shanghaieye.net