Exhibition of late Chinese sculptor Liu Shiming's works launched in New York

NEW YORK, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition of late Chinese sculptor Liu Shiming's works was launched at the Asian Cultural Center (ACC) in here on Monday.

The exhibition "Departure and Return," which runs from Oct. 28 to Nov. 8 at ACC, features dozens of bronze sculptures of Liu, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 84, said Hong Mei, managing curator of Liu Shiming Sculpture Museum at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), at the opening ceremony held here Monday evening.

Liu was among the first generation of China's homegrown artists, who mined his experiences living at the grassroots of China and his research into classic Chinese art to create "Chinese methods" of sculpture, she said.

Liu's works, often depicting ordinary people he had known, such as villagers, herders and opera performers, are vivid records of daily lives of China's countryside residents in the 1960s, according to Ma Lu, dean of the School of Plastic Arts and director of the Department of Oil Painting, CAFA.

"Liu's works represent very well the Chinese culture in a very fantastic way," said Italian sculptor Dionisio Cimarelli, who now teaches at New York Academy of Art. "Many Chinese (sculpture) artists have been looking very Western. But Liu still kept very much his character, the Chinese character."

Cimarelli, who had lived in China for many years, said the exhibition is an excellent platform for American audience to learn more about the real Chinese culture.

The exhibition marks the first leg of a world tour of Liu's works, which is organized by the Central Academy of Fine Arts where Liu graduated and lectured.

The exhibition will also be shown in ACC's Washington D.C. branch on Nov. 14-26. Then it will travel to Boston, Los Angeles, Sydney and Melbourne in 2020.