In this exhibition, “Portraiting Pingshan – Celebrating 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone”, Pingshan Art Museum invites artist Liu Qingyuan to create portraits of ordinary people who have participated in the construction of Pingshan District. Depicting real and colorful contemporary lives through the traditional art form of wood carving, these twenty-four portraits presented in large-scale site-specific installations will be placed on open city-roads. When these portraits greet each Pingshan resident, their energy will echo the landscape of the times, while announcing Pingshan District’s name, they will also exude the vibrance of Shenzhen City.
In Liu Qingyuan’s own words, “The individual constantly paces back and forth between revolving around something and its own self-rotation. We resonate with the times, and then withdraw from it, we then go back in and then jump back out again”. Every life experience and story capture the image of the people of Pingshan. By presenting “Portraiting Pingshan” through the portraiting of its residents, these artworks record the people’s lives and their passion of struggle. These portraits also witness the innovative city of its ambitious development and the spirit of this people-oriented. Through these portraits of Pingshan residents of courage and dream, we present today’s Pingshan in its full hope and solicitude, while also bearing a gift for the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.
