LI JIN 李津
To Live [It Up]
5 Nov - 12 Dec 2020
Curated by John McDonald
Vermilion Art is pleased to announce its first solo exhibition with acclaimed Chinese artist, Li Jin (b.1958). To Live [It Up] has been curated by leading art critic, John McDonald, a long-term admirer of his work.
From 2001-2013 Li Jin’s brush-and-ink paintings were exhibited in Sydney, with great success, by the late Ray Hughes. Over the past decade Lin Jin has become a global favourite, exhibiting extensively in museums and private galleries in China, Europe and the United States, where his work has been acquired by institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Chinese ink painting may conjure up thoughts of serene, landscapes, flowers and birds, but Li Jin takes a very different approach. Although he is steeped in tradition, and master of many techniques, his pictures are bold, whimsical and sensual – hedonistic celebrations of the pleasures of food, drink and sex – seen through a frame of self-deprecating humour.
To Live [It Up] features 38 works, including a suite of 20 small, idiosyncratic coloured ink paintings; eight ink sketches incorporating his distinctive calligraphy; two painted fans; five semi-abstract ink pieces; two large- scale works on paper and one magnificent scroll painting.
According to John McDonald, To Live [It Up] has a message that relates to both China’s recent history and the COVID-19 outbreak: “Having come through the hard times, we should make the most of the good times.” Or as Li Jin himself puts it: "My appetite for life and my desire to express myself have not been diminished by the pandemic. The uncertainties have been a good test for me to keep faith in art and life."
From 2001-2013 Li Jin’s brush-and-ink paintings were exhibited in Sydney, with great success, by the late Ray Hughes. Over the past decade Lin Jin has become a global favourite, exhibiting extensively in museums and private galleries in China, Europe and the United States, where his work has been acquired by institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Chinese ink painting may conjure up thoughts of serene, landscapes, flowers and birds, but Li Jin takes a very different approach. Although he is steeped in tradition, and master of many techniques, his pictures are bold, whimsical and sensual – hedonistic celebrations of the pleasures of food, drink and sex – seen through a frame of self-deprecating humour.
To Live [It Up] features 38 works, including a suite of 20 small, idiosyncratic coloured ink paintings; eight ink sketches incorporating his distinctive calligraphy; two painted fans; five semi-abstract ink pieces; two large- scale works on paper and one magnificent scroll painting.
According to John McDonald, To Live [It Up] has a message that relates to both China’s recent history and the COVID-19 outbreak: “Having come through the hard times, we should make the most of the good times.” Or as Li Jin himself puts it: "My appetite for life and my desire to express myself have not been diminished by the pandemic. The uncertainties have been a good test for me to keep faith in art and life."
