The Asia Art Center is honored to announce the exhibition “Ju Ming – Living World · Taichi” to be held at its Beijing space from June 29 to September 1, 2024. This exhibition marks Ju Ming’s first solo show in Beijing since the “Ju Ming Living World Series Sculpture Exhibition” at the National Art Museum of China in 2010, featuring over twenty pieces from his “Living World Series – Ballet,” ” Taichi Series,” and ” Taichi Series – Taichi Arch.”

Ju Ming (1938-2023) was a representative artist in the development of modernist art in Taiwan, China. His creations are characterized by simplicity, rigor, straightforwardness, and clarity, and he was committed to experimenting with various materials. Ju Ming pioneered a modern sculptural path imbued with Eastern aesthetic charm through the integration of Chinese and Western techniques and styles, bridging traditional and modern sculpting. In the 1970s, Taiwan experienced a surge in the local cultural movement, and Ju Ming, as an active participant, delved into the natural and unadorned traditional style of folk art. His first solo exhibition was held at the National Museum of Taiwan History in 1976. Subsequently, he developed the “Taichi Series,” inspired by the Taichi spirit in Chinese culture, and the “Living World Series,” which portrays people in various states of daily life, demonstrating vivid and lifelike qualities.

Ju Ming persistently explored various materials and mediums, maintaining the traces of his tools with bold and unrestrained techniques. “The foundation of an innovative work lies in the deep dialogue between the artist and the material. When Ju Ming rips open wood with his hands, splits it with an ax, or bends and twists thin steel plates, he is engaging in a heroic struggle with the untamable materials.” Ju Ming’s sculptures convey a natural, relaxed spiritual concept that resonates with the pure and natural philosophy of Taichi, forming the core of his “Taichi Series.” His works capture dynamic movements with concise and powerful forms, focusing on the spirit and essence of Taichi, combining softness and strength with vibrant and animated energy. In the creation of the “Taichi Series – Taichi Arch,” Ju Ming abstracted and refined the posture of Taichi push hands, transforming it into arch-like shapes that create “inside” and “outside” spaces, symbolizing the interplay of opposition and symbiosis, generating a continuous cycle of power.

The “Nativist Series,” “Taichi Series,” and “Living World Series” are the three most significant series in Ju Ming’s artistic career. After gaining fame with the “Nativist Series” in the 1970s, Ju Ming shifted his creative focus to the theme of Taichi forms in Chinese culture. Through the “Taichi Series,” he gradually established his unique expressive language and spiritual depth, marking a milestone in his international artistic journey. He then turned his attention to the myriad forms of human life, creating the “Living World Series,” reflecting a genuine sentiment towards real life. “Living World Series – Ballet” showcases Ju Ming’s new thoughts and expressions in stainless steel, retaining some of the polystyrene casting textures and highlighting the figures’ clothing with white paint, enriching the layers of artistic expression. The contrast of materials, combined with the reflection of light, infuses the figures with a blend of strength and lightness, capturing the grace and poise of ballet dancers in a moment of motion. Through diverse materials and intriguing forms, Ju Ming vividly and freely depicts the dynamic beauty, documenting and interpreting the splendid and colorful human world as he perceived it.

” Ju Ming – Living World · Taichi ” brings together the “Living World Series” and “Taichi Series,” showcasing Ju Ming’s artistic creations that profoundly resonate with visual sensitivity and cultural context. His sculptures exude a vibrant vitality that touches the soul, embodying the essence of his artistic spirit, language, and cultural roots.