Exhibition on 6 May - 9 June 2003

Liu Fei
"Bold + Trendy"

6 May - 9 June 2003

Schoeni Art Gallery presents a solo-exhibition for Liu Fei. A total of 38 oil paintings completed between 2000 and 2003 will be on show, with some reaching the height of the ceiling. Some of Liu Fei's paintings have already been exhibited in Beijing, some in Bangkok and now his one-man show in our gallery in Hong Kong.

"Bold + Trendy" is about you, me and the women around us. It is also about the interpretation of the character, behaviour and thinking of people nowadays. In the 1920s and '30s, the popular trend for Chinese women was a desire to strike out into a new life of freedom with modern ideas. They felt an urge to rebel against society, and were daring enough to cast aside the heavy burden of Chinese culture and tradition.

Almost a hundred years have gone by since then and many changes have taken place in society. Modern women have already accomplished that dream and achieved many of their aspirations. Chinese women used to be well known for their gentle and cultivated manner, and their way of laughing without showing their teeth. The women depicted in Liu Fei's paintings, on the other hand, are all bald, they wear student uniforms of the 1920s and '30s in a coquettish way and their red lips are wide open. They laugh openly and without restraint, proudly exposing their gums. Despite this, they all look very attractive, trying every means to impress others through their appearance, making a show of themselves. It doesn't matter if you enjoy looking at them or not, they have already achieved their goal by getting your attention.

What Liu Fei is trying to do in his paintings is present a unique psychological reflection on contemporary society. Sometimes the picture is attractive, happy, even exciting; at other times it can make you feel helpless or uncomfortable, provoking feelings of sickness and irritation.

Liu Fei was born in Nanjing in 1964 and a graduate of the Fine Arts Department of Nanjing Art Academy in 1989. Liu Fei will be present for the opening and his catalogue will be released in conjunction with the exhibition.

Lui Fei Bold + Trendy No.3 - 2002 O/C, 200 x 180 cm, 2002	Lui Fei Bold + Trendy No.3 - Pink 2002 O/C, 200 x 180 cm, 2002
Lui Fei Bold + Trendy No.4 - 2001 O/C, 80 x 70 cm, 2001	Lui Fei Bold + Trendy No.6 - 2002 O/C, 150 x 150 cm, 2002
Lui Fei Bold + Trendy No.8 - 2000 O/C, 70 x 70 cm, 2000	Lui Fei Bold + Trendy No.9 - 2001 O/C, 80 x 80 cm, 2001

For further inquiries, please contact:

Ms Selina Liu
Tel: (852) 2869-8802
Fax: (852) 2522-1528
Email: gallery@schoeni.com.hk
www.schoeni.com.hk

Exhibition Venue:

G/F, 21 - 31 Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong
10:30am - 6:30pm Monday - Saturday.
Closed on Sundays and public holidays.