The art of Dora Hsiung at initial impact is straightforward and unabashedly decorative, yet upon analysis it proves to contain subtleties to engage the eye and the mind. Her fabric sculptures look – and are – mathematically organized. Like a well-constructed fugue, a Hsiung work alters its tone and its counterpoint subtly as it moves from side to side, from top to bottom. Now and then there is a dissonant thread, which serves to accent the harmony of the whole.

“Don’t miss: ‘Chromatic Constructions’” – Mary Eisenhart, Thursday, October 22, 2009, 96 Hours

色‧立體：熊李南琛的當代纖維藝術　
2009舊金山中華文化中心「鮮銳」展系列
2009年9月12日至2010年1月10日

熊李南琛個展是舊金山中華文化中心所推出的第二屆「鮮銳」系列，同時也是第一次以纖維為媒材的展覽，

「鮮銳」是舊金山中華文化中心的藝術家個展系列，2008年首屆「鮮銳」展系列為裝置藝術家劉北立，該系列強調「新鮮」、「敏銳」視野，展出最新或未曾發表的創作，推出卓越但尚未被廣泛認識的華人藝術家，將提供觀者對當代中華文化的全新視野。2008 – 2010「鮮銳」由Phyllis C. Wattis基金會資助。

The Xian Rui (Fresh and Sharp) exhibition series for 2008-2010 is funded by the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation. Other support provided by Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, the members of Chinese Culture Center and individual supporters. 2009 Exhibition is co-sponsored by Hilton Hotel of San Francisco Financial District.

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Curatorial Statement

The Chinese Culture Center is proud to present the Xian Rui Artist Excellence Series. Xian Rui (translated from Mandarin as “Fresh and Sharp”) exudes the timing, content, and quality of work that the selected artists in this series aim to capture. Regardless of age, gender, and brand of technique, the featured artists’ exhibitions will ultimately showcase as both products and reflections of the evolving cross-cultural and transnational culture.

The constant goal for this progressing collection is to discover and acknowledge exceptional solo artists who would otherwise be underrepresented, under recognized, and underappreciated in our art community. Beyond such, the sheer nature of this program will challenge and push the artists, helping them hone their talents and helping us build a foundation for renewed appreciation and fresh perspective on contemporary Chinese art.

Following the overwhelmingly well-received debut of Xian Rui last year with artist Beili Liu (Lure, 2008), we are pleased to continue the series with our 2009 artist, Dora Hsiung and her showcase, Chromatic Construction. Among her fellow applicants’ entries, Dora Hsiung’s artwork not only emanated the rarely-found meticulous dedication to the fiber art and weaving discipline, but also provided a refreshing take on the art form in such a way that aesthetically and emotionally connects the artist to the viewer.

With such a practiced craft as weaving, artists young and old find great difficulty breaking away from the said and done and interpreting the art form anew. Dora Hsiung’s craft indeed does just that. Her three-dimensional artwork, between the waffle technique and an underlying variation of modular origami, utilizes the mathematical approach to construct depth, angle, and shape on the one hand, and borrows from the warmth of subtlety that one can only feel from using such materials as paper and soft yarn on the other.

Her distinct style must have inevitably taken form through her personal experience as a Shanghai-born, Brazil-emigrated, Boston resident. Her sculptures are enriched with the learned Chinese and Japanese weave craft, bold South American use of colors, and pinpoint American precision and industriousness. She brilliantly refines aggressive colors and rugged materials into smooth shapes that still burst with energy and life with a pantone-inspired range of vibrancy. Hsiung is the epitome of a global artist and we are privileged to exhibit her first ever large-scale show in the United States.

Abby Chen, Curator

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The wall hangings remind us of the colorist silkscreen prints of Viktor Vasarely, but they add the intrigue of the third dimension with its illusions of motion and vibrant gradations. In these pieces, Hsiung uses the basic element of fabric – colored wool yarn – in an original way. Not exactly woven, her strands build and interlock into forms of depth and complexity, combining formality of organization with warmth. She calls the very smallest works “waffle-weave.”

Part of the Chinese Culture Center’s “Xian Rui” (“fresh sharp”) exhibition series, Hsiung’s is the first fiber art to appear here. Director Abby Chen states, “Her works embody the diverse experience as a Chinese woman artist who has lived on multiple continents, enriching her vision and perspectives…That her works do not bear the symbols that indicate her ethnicity is what today’s Chinese artist is all about.”

A native of Shanghai, Hsiung was born Nan-son Lee in 1939. When China succumbed to Communist control, her entrepreneur father moved the family to Hong Kong for five years and then to Brazil. He saw to it that all 10 of the children attended college; Nan-son (now called Dora) received a degree in commercial art and design at the University of Illinois.

For a time after her marriage, Dora Hsiung was a silk-screen printmaker. Experimenting with off-loom weaving, Hsiung modified with wool the traditional Chinese “zong zi” – silk winding over small tetrahedron paper foldings – and also worked with the popular form of the “god’s eye” – a weaving formed on a pair of crossed sticks – producing small works that proved popular. She moved on to weaving large tapestries on a 60-inch loom, receiving commissions from corporations who found her work looked high-tech but had a softening effect on their contemporary buildings.

The largest “waffles” she produces are 40×40 inches. For larger installations, Hsiung combines a number of them. She has a double, reinforced wooden stretcher custom-built for each weaving; without reinforcement, her taut stringing would warp the plane of the square. The stretcher remains as part of the work. She has devised an apparatus that holds the frame but enables her to turn it over and over quickly. Each time she changes color she must knot the thread and hide the knot; to achieve her chromic gradations she changes color with almost every strand.

Hsiung has experimented with other shapes and forms: circles, triangles, cubes, tetrahedrons, spheres and huge mock candles. The wall hangings remain her most accessible work. Their infinite variety and consistent aesthetic make it hard to choose among them.

Article by Marty Carlock, Contributing Editor, SCULPTURE MAGAZINE

布料最基本的元素「多彩毛線」變成大膽的創作素材，在藝術家熊李南琛耐心的巧手安排下呈現規律的波動、流動的形狀與色彩。創作經歷超過三十年的熊李南琛用傳統毛線編織技術、精準地呈現溫暖的幾何圖形。舊金山中華文化中心將展出她的五十件尺幅大小不一作品，包括牆掛、裝置和雕塑，許多作品專為此次展覽而創作，並首次得到展出。展覽向公眾開放免費參觀，展期自2009年9月12日至2010年1月10日，9月11日晚上6點舉辦貴賓開幕酒會。

熊李南琛生於上海、移居巴西、現居波士頓，並在波士頓大學獲得碩士學位。項目總監陳暢表示，熊李南琛正是「鮮銳」系列尋找的藝術家，其作品包含華人女性的多種體驗，更因其跨越州際的生活經歷使她具有豐富的遠見及觀點。陳暢強調，熊的藝術靈感源於中國傳統手工藝及當代生活，而她如火純青地纖維編織技法將這些眾多紛雜的多種元素交錯結合。

當熊李南琛開始嘗試用免織機編織時，她參照中國傳統包粽子的手工藝，以絲線包在紙張做成四面體。不同的是她以毛線代替絲線，並將其放大而開始把顏色（彩）和形狀合併成織物雕塑。她很快地發展一種自稱為「威化餅編織」的技術，以線包在木架上，在編織和連結時不斷增加深度及複雜度。她將這些組織成輕微起伏的色彩，目光在顏色和形狀的不斷轉移中產生特殊的視覺效果。雕塑雜誌的特約編輯馬帝‧卡拉克（Marty Carlock）如此形容她的作品：「她的織物雕塑不只是看起來、實質上也是數學結構，就像一個設計良好的合旋，整個作品從一邊到另一邊、從上到下，巧妙地改變其色調和旋律。她有時使用一支不和諧的線，卻有加重整體和諧的作用，作品有循環的無限感和統一的美感。若要從中選擇最好的作品並不容易。」

熊李南琛經常將其「威化餅編織」合併成大型裝置（有些大到四十平方英寸），她也為每件作品製造木頭擔架，此架也成為完成品的一部分，但這只是一個漫長及複雜進程 的開始。她也設計一種儀器來舉起框架，在包線時能很快地把框架翻轉過來。每一次改變顏色時她必須將線打結、然後隱藏線頭，並且幾乎每一鍵她都要改換顏色以完成作品的色級。

中華文化中心展出的熊李南琛的作品形式多樣，有墻掛、雕塑以及裝置。50件作品中的10件是全新亮相，前所未見。

展覽還將安排兩場座談會。藝術家熊李南琛將於9月12日下午2點至3點親臨現場解說職維藝術。而2009年10月的另外一場座談會將邀請斯坦福大學美國亞裔研究中心主任張少書發言。詳情請登陸中華文化中心網站www.c-c-c.org。

中華文化中心行政總監鄧式美說：“像鮮銳這樣的系列展覽是中心為了向多元社區展示和融合當代藝術家而推出的。為了實現我們藝術與公眾結合的承諾，中心特邀斯坦福大學張少書教授來就美國華裔藝術進行一次特別演講。我們希望通過類似的活動激發整個社區更多的探討和參與，促成對不斷演變中的華裔文化新的理解。”

熊李南琛此次將在舊金山中華文化中心展出其代表作及首次公開發表作品。「色‧立體」展自2009年9月12日至2010年1月10日，舊金山中華文化中心位於肯尼街750號（希爾頓飯店三樓），開放時間：週二至週六上午10點至4點，週日中午12點至下午4點。入場免費。詳情請洽：www.c-c-c.org 或電415-986-1822。

「色‧立體」展由位於三藩市金融區的希爾頓酒店協辦。2008-2010年度鮮銳系列展覽由Phylis C. Watfis基金會贊助。同時感謝來自藝術基金、三藩酒店稅收基金、中華文化中心會員及其他個人的支持。

Free to public on view from May 2nd – August 23rd
Special website: www.presenttense.us

In the hands of 31 contemporary artists from China and throughout the U.S., San Francisco’s Chinatown becomes a laboratory of diverse ideas about contemporary Chinese culture in a new exhibition at the Chinese Culture Center.

“a multitude of favorites in this diverse and absorbing show”, Subjunctive, Hideous Sunday

“Convey Your Truth”, The California Report, aired on NPR

“Vibrant, political, poetic, and challenging…Go see this show!!!” – Marisa Nakasone, SF Art Examiner

“A fine exhibition all the way around… Definite go see.”, ArtBusiness.com

“a perfect embodiment of a transitional moment in American racial politics” - Claire Light, KQED Arts

“I’m also delighted to see that it hasn’t been curated along predictable lines of authenticity and/or ethnicity. ” — Jenifer K Wofford

“I’m looking forward to seeing Sean Marc Lee’s paternal portraits, Fang Lu’s answer to hyphy, Thomas Chang’s American twist on Jia Zhangke’s 2004 The World, Litang Liang’s revisions of calligraphy, and a video piece by sometime Guardian contributor Sergio de la Torre.(Huston)” San Francisco Bay Guardian

“Top pick!” – Examiner

San Francisco Weekly

“it’s going to be a really cool, fasinating exhibition,” Angry Asian Man

“is going to be kick-ass,” wiqaable.com

“…[the Present Tense Exhibition] won’t leave you intellectually hungry” – Shotgun Review

“A wonderfully diverse exhibition…” – SFStation

Thirty-one contemporary artists from the Bay Area and beyond interrogate the phenomenon that is modern Chinese culture in the Chinese Culture Center’s (CCC) Present Tense Biennial: Chinese Character exhibition. Presented in collaboration with Kearny Street Workshop (KSW) and guest curated by Kevin B. Chen, program director for Intersection for the Arts, the exhibition features a wide array of media including photography, video, painting, animation, sculpture and installation art displayed at both the Center’s downtown San Francisco gallery and in a number of satellite storefront windows throughout Chinatown.

Featuring 參展藝術家
Tamara Albaitis 塔瑪拉
Nancy Chan 陳曼玲
Anita Wen-Shin Chang 張文馨
Julie Chang 張維倫
Thomas Chang 張凌生
Sergio de la Torre
Cui Fei 崔斐
Justin Hoover 胡智騰
Bu Hua卜樺
Arthur Huang 黃介彥
Suzanne Husky
Khiang H. Hei 夏漢強
Larry Lee 李煥庭
Sean Marc Lee 李荊山
Liting Liang 梁麗婷
Lucy Kalyani Lin 林冠瑩
Ken Lo 羅文驎
Fang Lu 方璐
Maleonn 馬良
Elizabeth Moy
Ming Mur-Ray 張賢明
Tucker Nichols
Nadim Sabella
Zachary Royer Scholz
Indigo Som 岑志廉
Charlene Tan
Patrick Tsai 蔡仁杰
Imin Yeh 葉艾明
Xudung Yu 喻旭東
David & Michelle Yun 雲明正 雲翠蘭

PRESENT TENSE …

Chinese Character

By Chinese Culture Fo…

Book Preview

Find more about Present Tense artist on Chinese Culture Center Online Gallery

Present Tense Biennial 2009 is funded Grants for the Arts, Tower International, United Commercial Bank, Zellerbach and San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development

Present Tense Biennial 2009 would like to thank the following organizations for collaborative support:
Community Educational Services, Asian American Women Artists Association, Asia Society, Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, Asian Law Caucus,Chinese for Affirmative Action, Chinatown YMCA, Chinatown Community Development Center, and Community Youth Center.

2009年5月1日至8月23日

舊金山——中華文化中心主辦的現在時雙年展：華藝先鋒中，31位來自灣區内外的年輕藝術家將演繹他們對當代華人文化的審時度勢之作。此次會展得到乾尼街工作室 (KSW) 的支持，并誠邀藝術交叉點（Intersection for the Arts）項目總監陳凱明策展。展覽形式多元，包括攝影、錄像、油畫、動畫、雕塑及裝置等多種類型，主展場設在舊金山中華文化中心畫廊，並延伸至九個散佈在中國城的臨街櫥窗中。展覽對公眾免費開放，展期為2009年5月1日至8月23日， 會員及貴賓酒會將于2009年5月1日下午6點30分舉行。公共開幕儀式將于2009年5月2日下午1點舉行。

此次雙年展旨在展示全新視角下的當代華人文化以及置身其中的全球思維青年社群。“這的確是一份此時此地關于中華二字的問卷，特別是針對年輕人，”陳凱明先生談到。“中國和海外華人族群都在經歷巨大的變遷，而年輕一代活力四射，正是一系列變遷的主角。我們認爲年輕人里的藝術家們具有探究這些變遷的更大資本，因為他們本身是與各種變化水乳交融的。”參展的藝術家們有些來自中國，有些是海外華裔，也有不少非華裔人士。陳凱明說：“如果你的展覽僅局限于某一族裔，這種視野未免過於狹隘。因而我們是站在國際化立場的，力求將其他族裔社群帶入我們的對話。”

豐富多變的視角是今屆雙年展最顯著的特點。中華文化中心項目總監，共同策展人陳暢說：“中華文化再也不能被泛泛的概括。‘中華’現在是一个非常複雜的概念，華人在世界的每個角落開枝散葉並落地生根 。我認爲要靠年輕人來樹立這個概念，因爲他們肩上沒有沉重的歷史包袱。”

攝影師李荊山的作品在這一點上頗具代表性。現年二十出頭的他在聖布理諾（San Bruno）長大，是一名攝影師，通過互聯網已經建立了相當規模的追隨者群體。他的作品包括一系列以其父親為主角的人物攝影，挑戰了傳統觀念中保守的美國華裔家庭形象。李的父親也生於美國，在這些照片中，他和兒子的年輕朋友們一起派對，站在他的老牌福特皮卡前大擺浦士，在社區公共游泳池裏露出全身上下的紋身圖樣，或是精心打扮，準備享受夜生活。

錄像藝術家方璐，往返創作於北京和灣區，她的參展作品音樂錄影“直出香港” 長度僅2分鐘，卻給中美文化這盤雜燴添了新味。方璐請來Oakland的Hyphy說唱歌手Keldamuzik和她的成員組，并教她們對口型學唱舊金山華裔硬核搖滾樂隊鼻祖“死白鬼”的粵語原唱“直出香港”。場景設于舊金山Mission區一家廉價百貨店。“‘直出香港’讓我們看到了多個層面的文化脫節，”策展人陳凱明如是評價。

美籍華裔攝影師張凌生對顛覆的描繪中國文化很有興趣。他的系列作品“錦繡中華”乍一看是萬里長城等名勝，實際上卻是類似迪斯尼“明日世界”主題公園的微縮景觀，拍攝于佛羅里達州一處未完成的中國主題公園，現已荒廢。

美籍墨西哥裔藝術家Sergio de La Torre 帶來參展的是一部名為 “新龍城（Nuevo Dragon City）”的 錄像作品。De La Torre 出生於蒂華納（Tijuana）, 那里的華裔族群默默無聞，卻是幾代華裔移民的第二故鄉。通過他的作品，觀衆得以管中窺豹蒂華納的華人世界。為了拍攝這部作品，他回到家鄉，偕同當地華裔青少年，試圖再現相傳發生在二十世紀二十年代的一起真實事件。當時的華裔居民，為躲避暴徒的襲擊，藏身於一家傢俱店。拍攝過程中，少年們無聲的壘起傢俱，擋住窗口，畫面隨之越來越暗，映射出當時身為少數族群的華裔被忽視、排擠及隔離的內心狀態。

來自廣州的畫家梁麗婷的系列組畫，受傳統書法啓發，混合圖像和文字，極具個人風格。畫作的主題圍繞中國大陸前衛的性別觀和女權主義等。

除了在中華文化中心畫廊展出之外，舊金山中國城的幾處臨街櫥窗，也將展出部分作品。陳先生解釋說：“這些都市風格的作品穿行於藝術與商業之間。觀察社區民衆對它們的反應，肯定很有意思。路人可能會納悶，它們是不是明碼標價的商品。”

拿概念藝術家羅文驎來說，他將帶來名為ＫＬo的虛構商標運動鞋，專門針對年輕的亞裔消費者。在羅文驎的早期作品中，他有一個完全虛構的分身。這個角色曾是街頭籃球傳奇式的人物，親手調教了科比布萊恩特這樣的NBA明星。該運動鞋系列則是他探討體育界關於亞裔男性固有觀念的新嘗試。　

另一位藝術家葉艾明的作品也將在中國城臨街櫥窗中展出。葉艾明對中國進口貨物的包裝圖案近乎癡迷，他仿制了最常見的一種，把從咖啡機到筆記本電腦的所有東西都包了起來。葉艾明此次展覽的作品是一座用紙質商品搭成的假山。

參展的其他藝術家包括：塔瑪拉，陳曼玲，張文馨，張維倫，崔斐，胡智騰，卜樺，黃介彥，Suzanne Husky，李煥庭，馬良，林冠瑩，Elizabeth Moy，張賢明，Tucker Nichols，夏漢強，Nadim Sabella，Zachary Royer Scholz，岑志廉，Charlene Tan，蔡仁杰，雲明正，雲翠蘭。

We invite you to share thoughts and reviews of Afterlife by joining cccGallery.org to post member comments. Afterlife will start from March on www.c-c-c.org and March 21 to June 21, 2009 at the Mills Building (220 Montgomery Street).

Find more images like this on Chinese Culture Center Online Gallery

Lecture & discussion:
Time: April 12, 2009 from 2pm to 4pm
Location: Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale
Street: 750 East Arques Ave.
City/Town: Sunnyvale
Website or Map: http://sunnyvale.ctzen.org/
Contact Info: 408.733.0750

A forum on the subject of ‘life and death’ in Buddhism and Arts. Please join Venerable Master Jian Hu, Abbot of the Zen Center of Sunnyvale, and Bay Area artists in the discussion.

中華文化中心網上畫廊系列展覽 – 來生，將和您分享與靈魂和死亡相關的各種圖片。這些圖片來自不同國家的藝術家，与您探討生命輪迴。請到中華文化中心主頁瀏覽。

我們邀請您加入中華文化中心網上畫廊對參展作品進行評論。展覽”來生”將從三月開始在中華文化中心網站上展出，並將於三月二十一日至六月二十一日在Mills大廈實地展出(220 Montgomery Street)

Docent Tours for the Chinese Culture Center’s new exhibition, Icons of Presence, led by Janice Hom, are now available from 1 to 2 pm on the following dates:

Saturday, December 6
Wednesday, December 10
Wednesday, December 17

If you would like a group tour, please send email to: janice@c-c-c.org.
Individuals can show up promptly on the day of. If you cannot make these dates and would like a tour, please contact Janice.

Along with this exhibition, the Chinese Culture Center also published a beautiful catalog, written by curator Margo Machida. The catalog is now available to order through this website. To order, click here and follow the links.

Icons of Presence: Asian American Activist Art

Runs: October 23, 2008 – January 3, 2009
Opening Reception: October 23, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Chinese Culture Center Gallery
750 Kearny Street, 3rd Floor
Gallery Hours: Tue- Sat, 10-4
Admission: Free

Chinese – 中文網頁

Related Activities:

• Kearny Street Workshop Panel Discussion
• Screen Printing Workshop (more information to come)

Exhibition Catalog:

Written by renowned curator & art historian Margo Machida, this book is the first to document the work of Asian American artists Jim Dong, Nancy Hom and Leland Wong. To order the catalog:

• Click here if you are a US resident and want to pay by check or money order
• Click here if you are a CA resident and want to pay by credit card or via paypal

Iconography of Asian American Activism
From the Nichi Bei Times Weekly November 27, 2008, written by April Elkjer

The short radio piece with Nancy Hom by April Elkjer for APEX Express on KPFA.

——

The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco is proud to present its new exhibition, Icons of Presence: Asian American Activist Art, organized by guest curator and scholar Margo Machida.

Icons of Presence highlights the substantial role of printmaking and graphics as a powerful means of social expression for Asian American visual culture. It showcases both graphic art and posters from the landmark decades of the 1970s and ‘80s, and more recent work by Jim Dong, Nancy Hom, and Leland Wong, who played a pivotal role in the San Francisco Bay area’s Asian American arts movement. Putting the work of these three Chinese American artists in a wider context, the exhibition and its accompanying catalog also emphasize the range of influences that have shaped their art and cultural activism.

Icons of Presence is conceived as a counterpart to Asian/ American/ Modern Art: Shifting Currents, 1900-1970. This national historical survey exhibition of Asian American art, with significant West Coast representation, is on view at the de Young Museum in San Francisco from October 25, 2008 – January 18, 2009. Since the de Young show does not extend through the ‘70s or beyond – the period that witnessed the rise of the Asian American movement and cultural politics – Icons of Presence foregrounds the activist turn in Asian American visual art. By focusing on the work of these three individuals, Icons of Presence provides a slice of a larger history in American art that is both national and international in scope, to which these still-active Chinese American artists bring their own distinctive perspectives.

Major funding for the Icons of Presence Exhibition is provided by generous contributions from Zellerbach Family Foundation, Vincent Woo Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, Union Bank of California, Portsmouth Plaza Parking Corporation, Grants for the Arts, our members and individual donations.

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Picture 1: A Future for Our Children?, Nancy Hom, 1985
Picture 2: Fate, Jim Dong, 2007
Picture 3: Demonstrating the Sword, Leland Wong

Chinese Puzzles:

Games for the Hands and Mind

Traditional Chinese Puzzles from the Yi Zhi Tang Collection

中國傳統益智遊戲

“This unique and exciting exhibition will bring much enjoyment to viewers of all ages!”
- Terese Tse Bartholomew, Curator Emeritus, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

Runs: July 22 – October 11, 2008
Chinese Culture Center Gallery
750 Kearny Street, Third Floor (inside the Hilton Hotel)
Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat, 10-4
Admission: Free

Related activities:
“Hands-on-Puzzles” workshops (school groups & summer programs) (More information)
Puzzle Party for All Ages: Aug 9, 2008, 12-4pm (More information)
Puzzler’s Day: Aug 30, 2008, 12-4pm (More information)

Chinese version – 中文網頁

>> Click here to read San Francisco Chronicle’s article by columnist Jon Carroll

In China, puzzles are called yizhi youxi (intelligence games), and for many generations they have challenged the minds of young and old and tested the ingenuity of rich and poor alike. Along with its history of art, culture and science, China also has a rich tradition of puzzles and a fascination with puzzling objects. Besides, many traditional Chinese puzzles are artistic creations that reflect classical art form and display extraordinary craftmanship.

Chinese Puzzles: Games for the Hands and Mind is an exhibition of antique Chinese puzzles from the Yi Zhi Tang Collection and will include traditional puzzles, such as tangrams, nine linked rings, and sliding block puzzles. But it will also have examples of puzzling objects, visual puzzles, and cleverly designed practical objects, such as puzzle rings and multi-step padlocks.

Chinese Puzzles will be the first exhibit in the U.S. devoted exclusively to the subject of Chinese puzzles. Bay area residents Wei Zhang and Peter Rasmussen created the Yi Zhi Tang Collection after spending twelve years crisscrossing China and exploring Western antique markets to collect these rapidly disappearing handcrafted objects.

An important part of the Chinese Puzzles exhibition will be its hands-on component. While the antique puzzles on display will please the eye, visitors will also have a chance to challenge their hands and minds by playing with and solving an assortment of newly made Chinese puzzles.

Chinese Puzzles is presented by Chinese Culture Center’s Modern Classics Project.

This exhibition is funded by:

Vincent Woo Foundation

Photo 1: Wood sliding block puzzle, Shanghai, 1930s
Photo 2: Wood burr puzzles, China, 19th-20th century
Photo 3: Wood tangram, Canton, 19th century

All photographs by Niana Liu

‘Xin’ and “Rui’ also describe the content of the work, as this series showcases art that takes a thought-provoking look at contemporary Chinese culture. Whether by utilizing Chinese art forms and techniques, or deriving inspiration from Chinese heritage, all featured projects will ultimately be both a presentation and reflection of the culture. Xin Rui exhibitions benefit not only the artist gaining exposure, but also the viewer, who will walk away with a renewed appreciation and fresh perspective on contemporary culture.

“Lure/惑”, by Chinese American installation artist Beili Liu, is to be the first exhibition presented as part of the Xin Rui series. The concept behind “Lure” is drawn from the myth of The Red Thread in Chinese legend, in which lovers are connected by an invisible red thread from birth. As time passes they come closer and eventually find each other, regardless of the distance between them, or their social and cultural divides. The exhibit features several installations, all inspired by the Red Thread legend. Lure #1, the highlight of the exhibition, contains small round disks made from tightly spiraled red thread, which are further connected and paired off as couples. Suspended a few inches from the ground, subtle air currents encourage the disks to sway and turn, and with a little effort, visitors can discover the “connected couples,” though the swaying disks have their own “moves” and “affairs” regardless of the lines and connections beneath.

Jointly presented by CCC & Red Clay Arts Lovers Club , “Lure/惑”, the frist large scale installation exhibited in the Center’s history, is the official selection of 2008 San Francisco International Arts Festival and 11th Annual United States of Asian America Festival.

Lure/惑 by Beili Liu
劉北立大型裝置藝術展: 惑
Official Selection of the San Francisco International Arts Festival
舊金山國際藝術節指定展覽
11th Annual United States of Asian America Festival
11屆亞美藝術節指定展覽
Curated by Abby Chen
策展人: 陳暢

Runs May 9 – July 5th, 2008
Chinese Culture Center Gallery
750 Kearny Street, Third Floor (inside the Hilton Hotel).
Gallery Hours Tue.-Sat, 10-4
Admission: Free

“Such a moving presence…” – Suspended, Subjunctive
“Absolutely stunning…A must see!” – Flo Oy Wong
“Poetic…” – Jay Xu, Director of Asian Art Museum
“Don’t Miss!” – SF Chronicle/96 Hours
“Lure” is emotional, meticulous, and, yes, beautiful.” – SF Weekly
“Legend Made Visible” – SF Examiner

The Chinese Cultural Center of San Francisco kicks off its new Xin Rui (Fresh and Sharp) exhibition series featuring the work of prominent, emerging Chinese-American contemporary artists with “Lure惑”, a dramatic installation by Michigan-based artist Beili Liu. In her first Bay Area solo showing, Liu explores the Chinese myth of the invisible Red Thread that binds lovers by the ankle from birth. With each passing day, the thread pulls them closer until at last they find each other, overcoming distance and social and cultural divides. “Lure 1”, the highlight of the installation, makes use of hundreds of paired coils of red thread delicately suspended in the gallery. Subtle air currents set the red disks swaying and turning slowly like water lilies as the loose strands of thread on the floor drift and become entangled. With a little effort, visitors can discover the connected “couples”, though the swaying disks have their own “moves” and “affairs” regardless of the lines and connections beneath

Beili Liu is known for her uncanny ability to transform simple, everyday materials in curious ways that are evocative of both her Chinese heritage and her experience in the United States. Her elegant installations and sculptural work explore transience, fragility and the passing of time.

Related event: Beili Liu Artist Lecture, May 10, 2008
Future of Chinese Art & Chinese Artist in US, May 31, 2008

Co-presented by Redclay Art Lovers Club

Partial Funding provided by the Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund and the San Francisco Foundation

Media coverage

The Chinese Culture Center Online Gallery offers a window to view artworks created by Chinese artists to gain exposure for their artworks. Regardless the location, one can easily access the galley of Chinese art, preview exhibitions, artists portfolios, projects, talks and seminars.

中華文化中心電子畫廊為華裔藝術家提供了一個窗口，使其作品得到更多的關注。無論你身在何方，都可以通過網上畫廊，欣賞中華藝術，瀏覽展覽，藝術家作品，論壇以及講座。

Media Coverage 媒體關注

記者黃偉江三藩市報道

由中華文化中心電子畫廊與藝術資源顧問公司合作首次舉辦的華人藝術家作品展從3月17日到6月13日在三藩市Montgomery街220號的Mills大廈樓下的藝術長廊展出，展出的五十多件作品包括油畫、雕塑、攝影、水墨、陶藝、剪紙等。

中華文化中心項目主任陳暢介紹，作品來自該中心網站上八位本土和第一代移民的華人藝術家。希望通過與藝術資源顧問公司等機構合作，整合力量，向華人藝術家和主流市場提供一個互動的平台，形成藝術新勢力。

陳暢表示，此次展覽是免費提供給藝術家們，希望能為他們拓展市場，也東西方文化交流起到促進作用。這次是一次有益的嘗試，中華文化中心將陸續通過各種合作模式，對華裔藝術家及作品進行廣泛的推廣活動。如有興趣者，可聯繫中華文化中心：415-986-1822，Abby。