Grey St, Gallery Hamilton East

A Journey with Chinese Art launched in temperatures that soared beyond 30c making it quite a challenge to stay cool. With a large audience that increased in numbers through the early evening, competition for places under the air conditioning units, at times, became pretty intense. Buying was hot too with several sales that included two of Yong Ming Liu's incredible scrolls.

Gallery curator Clive Gilson began proceedings by emphasising the importance of Chinese calligraphy as part of the exhibition's intent to employ art as a means to understand and appreciate Chinese philosophy and culture. In this regard he identified the calligraphy of the Heart Sutra as an important illustration. Dallas Fisher, representing the gallery Patron, The Montana Catering Group identified the important work carried out by the gallery locating his commentary within his own life's art journey.

Nancy Caiger invited the audience to discover and enjoy the delights of the recently opened Boon Sculpture Trail that also passes by Sylvia Sinel's solo exhibition A Devotion to Form, at Welcome Swallow City Gallery

Finally, gallery artist Jing Liu introduced her exhibition work explaining the cultural and artistic significance of several of her compositions.

A Journey With Chinese Art, Catalogue, Feb-March 2024 pdf

Nancy Caiger addresing the exhibition

Jing Liu talks about her art work in the exhibition

~ A Saturday Seminar ~

Jing Liu puts Chinese art under the microscope

Saturday afternoon 9th March 2024, gallery artist, Jing Liu, a major contributor to the exhibition, A Journey With Chinese Art, gave a captivating and highly interactive one and a half hour seminar on her personal journey with her forebears. She considers these artists, from a thousand years ago to be part of her own journey.

Jing shared a breath-taking array of artistic knowledge and practice with her willing audience. The seminar focused on the Dynastic origins of Chinese art periods, including the birth of calligraphy and the claborate and expressive styles of painting. The special properties of rice paper and silk were shared alongside the use of brushes and how when painting, she used two brushes at the same time. She showed the various stages that some of the exhibition paintings had progressed through. The meticulous processes involved were underscored when she shared her personal opinion that, "The fun part for me is that there is no room for error".

Following the seminar the audience showed their appreciation of the work that Jing had done to bring her paintings to life. with prolonged, richly deserved applause.

Watch a montage of images from Jing's wonderful seminar