Nu Yishu -Series IV: Nu Red

‘Nu Yishu’ is an ongoing series of separate but interconnected art
exhibitions aimed at creating transglobal links. The impetus behind
‘nu yishu’ (Mandarin for female art) is the development of cultural
exchange between Australian and Chinese artists.
In 2005 Imagine Gallery in Beijing hosted the first of the series with
installations of mixed media paintings and bronze work.
The second and third exhibitions were held in China and Australian
capital Canberra.
The ‘Nu Yishu’ series based in Australia and China has the ability
to enhance both cultures whilst broadening connections with female
artists across the world.

RED

There are many words to describe visual, emotional and theoretical
responses to red.
Think it, feel it, taste it, hear it, see it. It is the color of warmth, fire, the
color of energy, flames, the color of passion, burning.
“For many cultures red is both death and life – a beautiful and terrible
paradox. In our modern language of metaphors, red is anger, it is fire,
it is the stormy feelings of the heart, it is love, it is the god of war, and it
is power.” Finlay, Victoria. Color: Travels Through the Paintbox, London,
Hodder & Stoughton, 2002,p. 157

Imagine Gallery Women’s Day Exhibition: Nu Yishu
Series IV: Nu Red

I am delighted to present the exhibition Nu Yishu Series IV: Nu Red
at Imagine Gallery in Beijing. Nu Yishu has been an ongoing series of
exhibitions of female art based in Australia and China.
This exhibition is the culmination of an ongoing process of cultural exchange
and cross fertilisation between Australian and Chinese artists that has been
continuing over the past three decades. Australia’s unique cultural diversity
and dynamic landscape has provided fertile inspiration for many Chinese
artists, and similarly, Australian artists are inspired by China’s rich artistic
traditions and vibrant culture. The extraordinary results of this cultural
exchange have continued to fascinate art-lovers and collectors worldwide,
and this series of Nu Yishu exhibitions is a testament to this fruitful
relationship.
Nu Yishu Series IV displays the work of five immensely talented female
artists from China, Japan and Australia. Denise Keele-bedford, Evelyna
Liang Kan, Lucille Yuk Yin Lo, Megumi Shimuzi and Tao Ai Min. The
exhibition opening on 8 March, marking 2009 International Women’s Day,
is indeed a timely celebration of the achievements and influence of female
artists worldwide. Through each artist’s diverse concepts and style, they
have produced an exhibition of outstanding significance, a truly valuable
contribution to the 2009 Women’s Day global events.
Both Australia and China have a long history of supporting women’s rights,
and firmly believe in equal opportunity and rights for all women. Australia
places great importance on International Women’s Day as an opportunity
to celebrate the progress that has already been achieved, and to raise
community awareness of what still needs to be done.
The Australian Embassy is proud to be supporting this exhibition of five
outstanding female artists, and to be celebrating their cultural contributions,
and the broadening of connections with female artists worldwide.
On behalf of the Australian Embassy, I hope you will enjoy Nu Yishu –series
IV: Nu Red.
Dr Geoff Raby
Ambassador Of Australian Embassy in Beijing

In Celebration of Nv Art, series 4: women’s handiwork

As a Chinese woman, I am very delighted to see an art exhibition by
women artists making its debut in Beijing on March 8, 2009, bringing with
it five witty, intelligent and unique women artists from Australia, China
and Japan, along with their works, in so sprightly a fashion.
On many occasions have records of cultural exchanges been made
between Japan, Australia and China, attesting to the cultural tolerance of
these countries and peoples. Today, five women artist have stepped over
the boundary of nationality and geography and, with their perceptive
eyes, indulgent bosoms and benevolent hearts, have created works
of art that are overwhelmingly appealing and thought provoking. They
have contributed to a world that is being increasingly depleted both in
natural resources and in soul. Their deeds and works are to be recorded,
heeded and advocated.
Born in the turbulent 1970s, I grew up in the thriving 1980s. In the past
20 *** (which I still can not accurately define) years, I had my feet firmly
planted on the solid Chinese soil and I spared no pains in perceiving
the world and in making friends. I am indebted to Denise for her sincere
invitation to participate in the exhibition. This has given me an opportunity
to take part in an event that unites numerous excellent women artists the
world over. Please allow me to join you in initiating a “red” whirlwind that
will cross both geography and history and come to households beyond
count.

Text by Song Ruyi
Date: Feb. 20, 2009

Artists

TAO Aimin (China)

Nu shu Women's Script
The Idea of this work based on the “Nu shu”
A syllabic script created and used exclusively by women in Jiangyong,
Hunan Province, China. The women were forbidden formal education for
many centuries and developed the Nushu script in order to communicate
with one another. They embroidered the script into cloth and wrote it in
books and on paper fans. Nushu is one of the most interesting and least
known writing systems. The words nu shu literally means "Woman's
Writing" in Chinese. As the name implies, Nushu is a writing system
created and used exclusively by women in a remote part of China.
Traditional Chinese culture is male-centered and forbids girls from any
kind of formal education, so Nushu was developed in secrecy over
hundreds of years in the Jiangyong county of Hunan province. Tao Aimin
uses used washboards and sets them together as Zhu jian – the bamboo
rubbings. Then she prints the natural used surface graphics that exist on
the wash boards on Rice Papers and makes them in traditional thread
binding. She displays the books with the notes that are written in “Nushu”
and sets the series of works to the eight square position which is related
to the Eight Diagrams. It also looks like a flower which is a symbolic sign
of the woman, and is related to the topic of “Nu – Red”.

Education

1999 B.A. Department of Art, Huaqiao University
of Fujian
2001 Advanced Studies, Central Academy of
Fine Art, Beijing
2000-2009 Lives and works in Beijing
Solo Exhibitions
2006 "A Woman's Long March" in Long March
Space 798 Art District Beijing China
2001 "Tao Aimin Solo Exhibition" Central
Academy of Fine Art Gallery, Beijing China

《NuShu》

Calligraphy, Installation,Video.
Media:traditional used thread binding, washboard, wood box, Plexiglas
Video:Hands washing with washboards by Women of Various ages.(3’20’’)
Size:320cm×320cm×80cm Date: 2008

Megumi Shimizu (Japan)

Imagine Gallery represented artist
The Motivation of the works:
Why do we always talk about the “Nu yishu”- “Female Art” in China
but never talk about the “Nan yishu” – “Male art”?
Why in the signs of restrooms, are we always using the blue color to
describe the Man? And to describe Woman is always by using Red?
Why is the most common model for sketch works always been a
woman?
Although I guess there are tons of answers, there is still not a good
one for it. So, I decided to use performance to express these feelings,
using the model of Yves Klein to perform. But the color and the model
are different. The performance is different also. Then we could raise
different cultures and other kinds of culture.
Conception of the works:
Two or three years ago, I’ve visited the exhibition of Yves Klein in
France. I’d seen his works exhibited in Japan a couple of times. But that
was the first time in France. I’ve got a totally different feeling by viewing
his works in Japan and in France. I’d studied Japanese drawings, also
Chinese painting’s theory in Japan. I’d also been to a lot of exhibitions of
Asian art in the west. I had viewed many art works from the west. But I
discovered there are some feelings that turn out from western art, these
feelings do not exist in our life at all. In fact, western art history has been
treated as the biggest part when we study world art history. But there
are many other kinds of culture that exist in this world, aren’t there? The
concept of contemporary art was found and based on western art. So my
topic is the contradiction and assimilation between the local cultures and
the contemporary art concepts which are developing and processing by
the art and culture community whom also exist beside western art.

Materials

Music"RED" or Traditional Drum player (Chinese
or Japanese)
red pigment
canvas
2 men models (best guy is French)

together life 1

blood on paper/acrylic
40x40cm
2008

together life 2

blood on paper/acrylic
40x40cm
2008

Lucille Yuk Yin Lo (Hong Kong)

Lucille Yuk Yin Lo began her art career in contemporary Chinese
painting in the 1980’s. Eventually she received her MFA from the Royal
Melbourne Institute of Technology University in 2004. Her current work
focuses on social consciousness and phenomena in contemporary Hong
Kong, attempting to depict the city’s subtle shift in social outlook as well
as to reflect the conscientious search and the gradual reconstruction of
identity in post 1997 era. Lucille’s visual expressions are presented both
in 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional formats. Over the years, Lucille
has won several awards, completed commissioned works for hotels and
has exhibited in museums and galleries both internationally and locally.
Her work is collected by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, The University
Museum and Art Gallery in Hong Kong, Hyatt Hotel Hangzhou , Crown
Plaza Hotel Macau, Forsberg A.G., Switzerland, Debevoise & Plimpton,
Shanghai Office, Pacific Club, Bangkok, Norman Ko Art Collections,
other big corporations as well as local and overseas private individuals.
She is recently awarded the Doctorate in Fine Art from the RMIT
University.

Evelyna Liang Kan (Hong Kong)

Evelyna has exhibited extensively around Hong Kong and Asia, in her
own personal work she addresses mostly on women’s issues. Her
interest has extended into the area of ‘Healing through Art’ using ordinary
daily objects to raise concern on relationships between countries and
between men.
Recently, her work has shifted back to her own cultural background, and
questions the meaning of communication through words and the age old
concept of Chinese Painting.
Concept and Statement:
For many years, this is what I believe: Art is Life and it should be for
everybody to enjoy. Art should be for the Common people in Common
Places. Art should be easily accessible and understood by all regardless
of age, gender or race! I also believe in the good nature of mankind, and
that all men and women are created equal.
Contemporary ‘Nu Yishu’
In the past, the term ‘Nu Yishu’ in China was interpreted as
women’s needle work - embroideries or sewing – proper activities
for ladies during leisure in their secluded homes. Nowadays in the
contemporary world, women’s occupations have extended far beyond
their predecessors’ domestic engagements to participate in the
competitive arenas of the financial market. Thus Lucille’s work on ‘Nu
Yishu’ attempts to manifest modern-day women’s participation in the
sophisticated number games in the financial world of today. Reflective
of the Taoist principles, the strategy of ‘burnt and loss’ aims to bring
out the philosophical implication of nothingness and impermanence in
this secular world.

TITLE: Nu x Gong ( Woman x Work)
DIMENSIONS: various size
MEDIUM: fabric, silk, cotton thread, fabric dye, oil
colour on canvas, digital output, water colour on
paper

Denise Keele-bedford (Australia)

Denise Keele-bedford uses a variety of materials
and objects to create artworks influenced by her
own cultural history and her experiences with
other cultures.
Her particular interests lay in the historical
and contemporary evolution of belief systems,
celebrations, rituals and their associated icons.
Denise is represented by Imagine Gallery in
Beijing.

24/7 – take a look

I look around and everywhere there is advertising in some form or
another. Massive billboards advertising the latest in shoe fashion, cars,
techno gadgets, everything for the consumer to spend their money.
In suburban Beijing a ubiquitous advertising board is made from printed
vinyl stretched over a framework and illuminated from the inside. I see
these along the many narrow streets attached to the sides of buildings
and standing on footpaths, their bright red colours prominent during
daylight hours and the advertising text lit at night.
They advertise the business, its attributes and products, promoting the
positive aspects and inviting closer investigation.
I am intrigued with the 24/7 concept showing that the advertised is
available 24 hours per day 7 days per week, is there no time for rest.
When I think of women we are much the same, 24/7 feminine, female
with all the attributes of ‘the other’ human species participating on this
earth.
These female advertising boards are not intended to separate you from
your hard earned money or to shower you with the latest and best of
design and technology. BUT
‘24/7 – take a look’ is celebrating women, advertising their attributes,
promoting the positive aspects and inviting closer investigation 24hours
per day 7 days per week.

On the occasion of

“Nu Yishu – Series IV: Nu Red” March 8th to May 12th, 2009 and in
continuation of International Women’s Day celebration, the screening
of a 6 part film, “FLYING: CONFESSIONS OF A FREE WOMAN” by
Jennifer Fox (USA) is at venues thoughout Beijing.
Jennifer Fox is Flying (extract) by Ellen Pearlman
"I had to keep filming to figure out this modern crazy life," Jennifer Fox
says at the beginning of her six hour documentary, Flying: Confessions
of a Free Woman. She DOCUMENTS a large cast of characters, a
veritable "we are the world" COLLECTION of women, speakING to theM
AND THEN LETTING THEM SPEAK TO EACH OTHER by passing the
camera back and forth.
What saves this work from becoming a mere reality TV show is the
powerful humanity behind each woman's (and by inference, each man's)
plight, and the skillful editorial decisions of how to present that plight.
No one emerges unscathed from the battle of the sexes. Flying is post
feminist, in that the freedom that women fought so valiantly to achieve
HAS BEEN granted, BUT like a Pandora's Box, IT HAS ALSO whipped
up a whole new set of woes. Now that at least some Western women
can choose how to live their lives, where does this put them in relation to
women who are not so uniquely blessed?

thanks to
Australian Ambassador Dr.Geoff Raby
Australian Government
Janaline Oh and Daniel Sanderson
Hannah Skrzynski and Jill Collins
Artists 2000 Foundation
Song Ruyi
Ellen Pearlman
Xiao Rong
Phillip Wang
Lao Lv

Curators
Laetitia Gauden
Denise Keele-bedford