New Exhibition: 6 October - 2 November 2005

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Li You Song
"Once Upon A Time II"

Vernissage: 6 October 2005 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Exhibition: 7 October - 2 November 2005

Schoeni Art Gallery Ltd. is delighted to announce our most recent solo exhibition of Li You Song entitled "Once Upon A Time II" opening on the 6^th of October 2005.

Harking back to the days of Colonial endeavour and mercantile trade, Li You Song creatively travels back in time to bring a poignant reminder to today's jaded audience who take their contemporary surroundings for granted. Li is interested in remembering and acknowledging the volatile historical events that have left invisible tracks in our subconscious from beyond our range of experience. By rendering his work with an antiquarian look style, the sepia tone of his palette is nostalgic and sensitive to the effects of time on our documentation of the past. As if his oeuvre has been exposed to the effects of the elements over time, Li imbibes a collective consciousness into his work that simulates the rendition of particular spots in time in our memory whilst it mimics traditional artistic styles to make these memories more true to life. The colonial style borrows from neo-realism and uses a selective palette of whites, creamy yellows, ochres, sienna and chocolate browns, fawny beiges, taupes, and muted earth tones. These pigments are reminiscent of the work of Rembrandt, whilst the composition of Li's group scenes is rather more illustrative and allegorical.

By honing in on the intangible dynamic of a group, Li is able to recreate the feeling of a conversation without having to explicitly outline it. The positioning, stature and characterization of his figures speaks volumes, wordlessly. In addition to this, Li pays particular attention to the livery, dress, and social protocol that defined the austere stratification of society at that time. Theirs was a time rife with upheaval, social re-education and re-organisation, but at the same time it was an era of opportunity and growth. Li's reminiscence of colonial times rams home the point that we can never change the past, but in order to fully be in the present, we need to acknowledge our communal past and shared history. Li's newest collection is a prolific body of work that is somewhat stronger in the sense that his expressive voice reaches out with more ardour and zeal in capturing the moments of memories that passed by in a split second, but changed our world timelessly.

A catalogue will be released in conjunction with this exhibition.
18 oil paintings and pastel works will be on display.

Written by Alexandra Hamlyn

Click here for the Biography.
Click on image for an enlarged view.

Outside the Door Oil on Canvas, 160 x 160 cm, 2005

Smokers' Hall Oil on Canvas, 160 x 160 cm, 2005	Liang Ru Hao & Tang Shao Chang Oil on Canvas, 44 x 33 cm, 2004

Fireworks Pastel on Paper, 80 x 100 cm, 2004

Rowing Pastel on Paper, 55 x 110 cm, 2004

For further enquiries, please contact Selina Liu.

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

Exhibition Venue:
Main Gallery: 21-31 Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Monday - Saturday 10:30 am - 6:30 pm.
Closed on Sundays and public holidays.