Liu Dongxu: Fingertips, Ear canal
Beijing
May 25 - June 30, 2024
Liu Dongxu: Fingertips, Ear canal 
Artists: Liu Dongxu
Exhibition：Fingertips, Ear canal
Duration：May 25 - June 30, 2024
Opening: 4:00 PM, Saturday, May 25, 2024
We find ourselves swept up in an era characterized by instant gratification, where scrolling through mobile phones accelerates relentlessly, short videos grow ever briefer, and audio programs must be played at 1.5x speed or faster to keep pace. Yet, Liu Dongxu's works pull us into the authenticity of the present moment, redirecting our gaze back onto the self. Through his intuitive and richly experiential approach to everyday materials, he invites us to feel the aches of memory, the joys of the current moment, and to sense the fleeting existence and transformations of a living being. His art serves as a counterpoint to the rush of modern life, reminding us to slow down and truly experience the depth and texture of our experiences.
Liu Dongxu's works span across mediums such as sculpture, architecture, and design, yet the underlying theme consistently revolves around "humanity." He transcends boundaries and engages with diverse fields of knowledge, liberating himself from conventional ideas and firmly believing that things can always be reexamined and reinterpreted. This conviction enables him to observe everything more freely and intuitively, thereby initiating a fresh and unencumbered perspective.
The artworks showcased from 2020, titled 'Magic of Hands' and 'Humorous Talk' stem directly from personal experience. The artist, who endures two periods of severe physical allergies each year, channels this profound and visceral sensation into these pieces. Symptoms like bloodshot eyes, swelling, increased secretions— all discomforts associated with the condition—are subtly embedded within these works. Furthermore, the artist assembles lamp frames collected from various sources, creating a skeletal structure that links together intricate details, infusing them with everyday bodily sensations and experiences. Ultimately, this process transforms them into a form that is uniquely and intimately "mine."
In the four works from 2023, titled 'Arms as Support I & II' 'Curled Up Abdomen II' and 'Slumber' the artist ventured into experimenting with a novel everyday material: bean curd skin. This organic substance was adopted somewhat whimsically, yet its color bears resemblance to human skin, and its form evolves with environmental changes, air exposure, and the passage of time. Like all organic matter, it loses moisture and oils, transitioning from freshness to dryness, suppleness to fragility—a metaphor for the irreversible course of life. Fortunately, there is the element of "light," which, after special treatment, combines with the bean curd skin and warm light sources, interlaced with metal or stainless steel, transforming the once static forms into luminous bodies that engage with their surroundings. These glowing, animated sculptures extend outward and initiate a dialogue, bridging the gap between the internal and external worlds.
In 2024, four works titled 'Fingertips, Ear canal' 'Hay Fever,' 'Needles, Epidermis' and 'Beyond Eyes' employ the latest epoxy resin material. Each of these artworks narrates authentic recollections of different parts of the body encountering various discomforts or external stimuli. By utilizing this contemporary medium, Liu Dongxu explores the body's sensitivity and response to its environment, encapsulating moments of vulnerability and resilience in a tangible, almost tactile representation......
Liu Dongxu, born in Xi'an in 1983, Liu Dongxu lives and works in Beijing.
Liu Dongxu's work is centered around sculpture, and his works aim to reflect and explore the relationship between sculpture-architecture, spatial structure, physical behavior, and wider contexts, integrating multi-dimensional reflections on architecture, design, the body, and the environment, including social and cultural life, as well as the use and transformation of various materials and media in different contexts.
