Ma Liuming

Ma Liuming (* 1969 in Huangshi , Hubei Province) is a contemporary Chinese painter and a pioneer in the field of performance art . He became known for his experimental performances exploring the power and poetry of nudity in public in China, where such behavior was strictly prohibited. Thus he became a target of state censorship and was unable to perform in his own country for most of his career .

biography

In 1981 Ma Liuming began studying oil painting with Tutor Cai Erhe. He received his diploma (MFA) in 1991. Two years later he founded the Beijing East Village , an artist colony on the outskirts of Beijing . In the early 1990s the village developed into a mecca for experimental art . One of Ma Liuming's first performances is called “Fen-Ma Liuming's Lunch 1”. This performance was created in collaboration with Zhang Huan and Zhu Ming in 1994. Ma Liuming sat, completely naked, sucking on a plastic tube attached to his penis. In 1994, Ma Liuming was arrested by the police for two months for works. Many artists who were in Beijing East Village fled for fear of further raids.

In order to do justice to his androgynous appearance, Ma Liuming developed his personal performance figure, Fen-Ma Liuming, a hybrid figure with female and male characteristics. In addition to performances, painting is a key component in Ma Liuming's work. Since 2000 he has been working on the “Baby series”. Characteristic of this is the appearance of childlike bodies in combination with his face. These surrealistic images are confusing and funny at the same time. Using various media as well as performance , painting and photography , Ma Liuming explores the limits of provocation .

Selected solo exhibitions and performances

• 2007 Marella Gallery, 798 Factory, Beijing , People's Republic of China
• 2007 Galería Dolores de Sierra, Madrid, Spain
• 2005 “Ma Liuming: Chosen Images”, Aura Gallery, Shanghai, China
• 2004 “Ten Year's Review of Ma Liuming's Works”, Top Space, Tai Kang Life Building, Beijing, China
• 2003 “Any Day”, performance at Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
• 2002 “Photographs and videos of performances”, Soobin Art Gallery, Singapore
• 2001–1996 Series of performances entitled “(Fen-) Ma Liuming in…”, all over the world
• 1999 Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, USA
• 1998 “Chaos and Birth / Ma Liuming '98”, Gallery Q, Tokyo, Japan
• 1998 PS1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, USA
• 1998 “Fen-Ma Liuming Walks the Great Wall”, Performance, Beijing, China
• 1997 “Thirty-six Self Taken Photographs by Ma Liuming II”, performance, Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
• 1997 “Photographs of Performances”, Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, USA
• 1996 “Ma Liuming (paintings)”, Chinese Contemporary Gallery, London, UK
• 1996 “Fish Child”, performance, Beijing, China
• 1995 “Fen-Ma Liuming and the fish”, Performance, Beijing, China
• 1995 “Fen-Ma Liuming's lunch I & II”, Performances, Beijing East Village, Beijing, China
• 1993 “Dialogue with Gilbert and George”, Performance, Beijing East Village, Beijing, China
• 1993 “Ma Liuming I, Woman's face and Man's body”, Performance, Beijing East Village, Beijing, China

Selected group exhibitions

• 2008 “HUBEI! Painters from Hubei Province, China ”, Edward Pranger Oriental Art Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 2007 “Timerol, Intimacy”, Triennale, Milan, Italy
• 2007 “Dragon's Evolution”, New York Chian Square Art Center, New York, USA
• 2006 “Process & Expression”, Star 85 Art Space, Taipei, Taiwan
• 2006 “Unclear and Clearness - Contemporary Chinese Art”, Heyri Art Foundation, South Korea
• 2004 “Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China” (traveling exhibition)
• 2005 “Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection” (traveling exhibition)
• 2005 Prague Biennale 2, Prague, Czech Republic
• 2002 Art Moscow, Moscow, Russia
• 2002 “Chinese Modernity”, Armando Alvares Penteada Foundation, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• 1999 “Pink for Boys / Blue for Girls”, NGBK, Berlin
• 1998 “Inside Out: New Chinese Art”, PS1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, USA
• 1995 “Participation in Zhang Huan's To Raise an Anonymous Mountain by One Meter”, Miaofengshan Mountain, Beijing, China

literature

• China Art Book. Dumont: 2007. ISBN 978-3-8321-7769-0
• Ma Liuming. Damiani: 2007. ISBN 978-88-6208-001-9

Web links

• Ma Liuming at Edward Pranger Oriental Art Gallery