From Saturday 19th December 2009, the Museum of East Asian Art will be hosting a breathtaking exhibition of contemporary papercuts by three artists of Chinese descent, Lo Jhy Yen, Nie Chun-Mei, and Zhang Wenqing. “Cutting Edge: Untraditional Papercuts by Three Contemporary Chinese Artists”, will display an array of colourful and unusual works until 25th April 2010. The exhibition will run concurrently with the Museum’s Lunar New Year celebrations in February 2010.

The development of paper has been entwined with the history of China for thousands of years so it is not surprising that it has just as long a tradition of being used in ornamentation. Ornamental papercuts are especially important around the time of the Lunar New Year, when old ones would be taken down to be replaced by new papercuts for the coming year. Now practiced in many countries throughout the world with varying techniques and subject matters, the papercutting of China is often seen as traditional and rustic. This is however not the case – with recent exhibitions in China featuring papercuts of athletes in honour of the 1st anniversary of the Beijing Olympic Games and the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Cutting Edge moves a step further on from these contemporary themes into new and untraditional forms of papercutting. One of the artists exhibiting at the Museum, Lo Jhy Yen, describes his work as “concentrating upon the strength of colours and characteristics of different materials”. This focus on colours, and especially the layering of multiple colours within a piece, is a prominent theme throughout this exhibition. In the past, traditional papercuts have been two-dimensional, either monochrome or with colours applied to the design. Lo Jhy Yen’s innovation comes from the layering of a series of painted papercuts, one on top of another, to create a sense of depth. In this way the artists hope to contribute to the development of papercuts as a modern art form.

Michel Lee, Curator of the Museum of East Asian Art enthused “It’s great to be able to have such an appropriate exhibition during the Lunar New Year. Not only does it draw from Chinese tradition, but the techniques these papercut artists use are groundbreaking. They really illustrate how artists are bringing a craft tradition to the present-day in the form of modern art.”

The Museum of East Asian Art’s new exhibition “Seifu Yohei and His Contemporaries: Meiji Porcelain in the Chinese Imperial and Literati Taste” opens to the public on Saturday 19th December 2009. This exhibition showcases the beautiful collection of Meiji period Ceramics made by Seifu Yohei (1851 – 1914) and other contemporary potters and will be on display to the public until 25th April 2010.

A website created by the Art Research Center of Ritsumeikan University to accompany this groundbreaking exhibition can be accessed by clicking here

In the mid to late 19th century Japan opened up worldwide trade relations, ending a 200 year policy of seclusion. As a result not only were Japanese ceramics influenced by a wealth of new aesthetics, but it also exposed Japanese artists and craftsmen to international expos where their work could be showcased. This pushed the potters to experiment with new glazes and techniques that would move on from the designs of the past which now seemed antiquated in comparison to the Art Nouveau motifs wowing Europe.

“Seifu Yohei and His Contemporaries: Meiji Porcelain in the Chinese Imperial and Literati Taste” focuses on work of Seifu Yohei III, and his contemporaries Kozan, Sozan, Tozan. Although these contemporary artists were also widely acknowledged and acclaimed in and out of Japan, with Kozan in particular winning accolades abroad, Seifu was unique in his focus on the domestic Japanese market.

One of the most highly praised potters to emerge during this, the Meiji Period, Seifu was born to a family of Kyoto potters, eventually taking over the family business. Despite the influences from Europe felt by his contemporaries, Seifu’s interest lay in Chinese porcelain, and early in his career he mainly produced Chinese Ming and Song-style porcelain. Seifu’s main market was domestic, where he won many awards and became the first potter to be designated an Imperial Household Artist – the highest official accolade to be awarded to top artists and craftsmen.

The Museum’s Honorary Keeper, Brian McElney says that “although we have had Japanese pieces in various exhibitions this is the first solely Japanese exhibition that the Museum has done in the past few years. Some of the pieces are at once understated and breathtaking; we’re very much looking forward to having them on display.”

1pm – 4pm

Artist and teacher Ai Li Purdy leads this fascinating brush painting workshop focusing on landscapes and the use of the tiger, this year’s Zodiac animal.

The MEAA has been lucky enough to work with renowned artist Ai Li Purdy on several occasions, including an exhibition of her work – a display of traditional and contemporary silk paintings in 2002.

Cost £15 (£12 for MEAA Friends) – book 5 days in advance.

A landscape painting by Ai Li Purdy

5.30pm – 6.30pm

Musician and composer Colin Huehns will delight on this spring evening with a repertoire of compositions played on three Asian instruments.

After completing a British Academy Research Fellowship, Colin spent three years studying at the Xi’an Music Conservatoire in China. He now teaches various Chinese instruments at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Cost £10 (£8 for MEAA Friends) – book 5 days in a dvance.

3pm – 4pm

Children’s workshop. Learn about the art of Zen gardening and make your own miniature Zen garden to take home.

Cost £5 (£4 for MEAA Friends) – book 5 days in advance.

 The Museum of East Asian Art is pleased to work in cooperation with ArtChinese to host the exhibition: “Animal Kingdom: Paintings by Li Fuyuan,” which features fifteen pieces of the artist’s works.  Mr. Li uses brush painting techniques with stunning effects.  His paintings are full of bold, contrasting colours and elements that compose a visual melody of a fantastically cacophonous world.  The abstract shapes work together to form the images of animals that are at once incorporated into a dramatic landscape but yet bursts out from the background to stare at the audience with as much interest and curiosity as the inquisitive humans eyes on the other side of the glazed frames.  Li Fuyuan’s works are sure to delight.

Tiger, 2008 ink & colour on paper 46 x 46 cm

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