2025 ART SG: Booth BA05

At booth BA05, Asia Art Center will be showcasing the most iconic works by the trio of artists the gallery represents, including Yuyu Yang’s famed Advent of the Phoenix; Ju Ming’s Taichi Series and Living World Series–Ballet; and Li Chen’s Spiritual Journey through the Great Ether and extended series from Spiritual Journey through the Mundane World. Asia Art Center aims to provide a comprehensive context for the artistic journeys of the artists and to illustrate their importance within the sphere of contemporary sculpture.

Asia Art Center has a longstanding commitment to exploring modern and contemporary art in the Chinese-speaking world, with a particular focus on developments since the post-war era. At the core of this exploration lies the concept of “the new Eastern spirit.” Dating back to the early 20th century, the investigation and expression of this idea have been integral to the artistic pursuits of numerous Chinese-speaking and ethnic Chinese artists. Initially originating from a sense of unease about identity and self-identification, this discourse has since evolved to encompass dialogic relationships between concepts and innovative forms relevant to contemporary artistic media. This perspective on the “new Eastern” goes beyond the mere reconciliation of Eastern and Western paradigms. It delves into a deeper introspective process—a dialectical method for examining one’s own position(ing) and circumstances while considering diverse cultural and knowledge backgrounds. The art of Yuyu Yang, Ju Ming and Li Chen beautifully embody the “new Eastern spirit” cultivated across different eras. Through their art, we look forward to a fresh exploration of our contemporary understanding of the “new Eastern” at ARTSG 2025

About the Artists

Yuyu Yang (1926-1997, Taiwan)

Yuyu YANG, also known as Yang Ying-feng, studied at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts) in Japan, the Fine Arts Department of Fu Jen University in Beijing, and the Art Department of National Taiwan Normal University. In the 1960s, he pursued further studies in sculpture at the National University of Rome and the Roman Mint School in Italy. Apart from teaching at universities in Taiwan, Yang exhibited both domestically and internationally, including his renowned landscape sculpture ‘Advent of the Phoenix’ at Expo ’70 in Osaka, Japan. Over his lifetime, Yang created more than 2,500 pieces, encompassing comics, prints, sculptures, laser art, landscape sculptures, and architectural planning, earning numerous accolades. He is one of the most representative and influential post-war Taiwanese artists and published a thirty-volume corpus, including art collections and historical documentation.

Yang’s love for nature stemmed from his childhood in the beautiful landscapes of Yilan, where he was immersed in natural surroundings from a young age, fostering a deep passion for art in clay sculpture and paper cutting. His educational journey in architecture at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and his three-year stay in Italy provided him with experiences that led to a realization of the differences between Eastern and Western cultures, aesthetics, and philosophies. He gradually moved away from the excessive use and development of Western technology and materialism, embracing the Chinese philosophical concept of “unity of heaven and humanity,” which advocates for harmonious coexistence between humans (microcosm) and the natural environment (macrocosm).

Ju Ming (1938-2023, Taiwan)

Ju Ming, a sculptor of unparalleled prominence in the Chinese-speaking world. This presentation features several pivotal series from his extensive career, with a central focus on Taichi Series and accompanied by pieces from Living World Series–Ballet. In 1976, Ju Ming had his first solo exhibition at the National Museum of History in Taipei. His strong sense of humanistic concern and the rugged, chiseled characteristics of his work immediately garnered widespread attention, making him a significant symbol amidst waves of cultural movements in the 1970s calling to revisit and revive native Taiwanese cultures. Taichi Series originated in the mid-1970s when Ju Ming became fascinated with the practice of Taichi, initially motivated by the improvement of physically well-being. Over time, the artist delved deeply into the fundamental essence of Taichi, transforming it into distinctive artistic expressions that also came to embody his life philosophy. Moreover, the debut of Taichi Series in 1977 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum received international academic acclaim, which firmly established Ju Ming’s artistic significance in the field of sculpture. Living World Series–Ballet was meant to be a chapter within the larger Living World Series which Ju Ming initially developed during the 1980s. In contrast to Taichi Series, Living World Series placed a greater emphasis on portraying the diverse aspects of ordinary life in the everyday world. In 1986, a major solo exhibition featuring Living World Series was held at the Singapore History Museum (former National Museum of Singapore), where one of his artworks was acquired and installed in the museum’s plaza through a fundraising campaign initiated by citizens.

In 1997, Ju Ming reached an important milestone by becoming the first artist from the Chinese-speaking world to exhibit at Place Vendôme in France, marking the pinnacle of his international artistic acclaim.

Since then, his works have been exhibited in prestigious museums in various cities, including Luxembourg, Brussels, Berlin, Beijing, and Hong Kong, where they have been acquired and collected. These extensive exhibition experiences across Europe and Asia underscored the unwavering dedication of an artist who continually strives for excellence. In 1999, Ju Ming realized a momentous dream with the opening of the “Ju Ming Museum,” a project he conceived and executed himself, bringing his vision of “planting seeds of art” to fruition. As the largest artwork in his entire artistic career, the museum symbolizes the artist’s enduring commitment to making a meaningful contribution to society. In 2019, Ju Ming received the “Arts and Culture Award” at the 10th Presidential Culture Awards. Following his passing in 2023, the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) posthumously honored him with a Presidential Citation, acknowledging his substantial contributions to the world of art.

Li Chen (1963-, Taiwan)

Li Chen established his influential presence in contemporary Asian sculpture as early as 1999 through his iconic sculptural style known as “Monumental Levity.” Since then, his exceptional talent has garnered invitations for exhibitions across cities on the international stage. In 2007, Li Chen is the first artist from the Chinese-speaking world in a century to be invited for a solo exhibition at the esteemed 52nd Venice Biennale, while his solo exhibition Li Chen: Mind · Body · Spirit at National Gallery Singapore in 2009 marks another milestone of the artist’s career.

To unveil the substantial “soft power” of Chinese contemporary art in today’s world, Discovery Channel filmed in locations from Venice, Paris, London, New York, Tibet, Beijing, Taipei, to Taichung to follow the creative path of Li Chen. The film was premiered in December 2013. In 2014 Li’s “Ordinary People” debuted in Beijing and then in 2017, MOCA, Taipei organized “Being: In/Voluntary Drift ─ Li Chen Solo Exhibition;” both shows display Li Chen’s critical thinking about social issues and the (im)perfection of human beings that hidden in his art. “Throughout the Ages: Li Chen Solo Exhibition” at Aurora Museum is held in Shanghai in November 2018. “Ethereal Cloud – Li Chen New Works” at Asia Art Center, Beijing in December 2019. “Li Chen: Paradox in Elegance—Spiritual Journey through the Mundane World” at Asia Art Center, Taipei in March 2023. In 2024, he became the first recipient of the “Outstanding Achievements in the Sculptural Arts” award presented by the American Friends of Museums in Israel.

Works from Li Chen’s most celebrated series Spiritual Journey through the Great Ether, such as Tap on Spiritual Mirror and Traveling in Mountains, will be presented as an introductory chapter, bringing out sculptures from Mundane World series with new pieces including —The Throne of Speech and Cluster—provides insights into the artist’s inspiration and contemplation throughout the process of artistic creation. Li’s commentary on the Mundane World encapsulates its spirit: “A return to humanity, arising from the paradox in elegance.” While this latest series builds upon the aesthetics of “Monumental Levity” and incorporates the ink-black element seen in his previous works, its figures exude a carefree and ethereal flair that subtly alludes to the worldly burdens they carry. It is only after experiencing the highs and lows of life’s various phases that the artist has come to realize that the deepest complexities of one’s inner world often remain concealed beneath the surface.