Introduction

Liu Weijian (b.1981) lives and works in Shanghai. He graduated from Shanghai Normal University of Art (2005).

Liu Weijian has defined his cold and recondite way of “social narration” through his early works: he wears a cold neutral “image” mask and takes it as the root of his “conceptual painting”. With his cold touch and melancholy feelings, Liu Weijian's work deals with many of the current issues he and his contemporaries think about daily and creates a feeling of constant movement and of unfinished business.

After that, the ever-changeful themes and painting styles are the self-evolution with the increase of ages, expansion of horizons, and the changes of social experiences of Liu Weijian. “Every once a while I will go to some places, somewhere nothing special, no particular choice, just like the randomness of life…endless walking makes me get closer to the conception between ‘people’ and ‘me’.” In this highly symbolism tour, painting is the ideal way to express his self-cognition-seeking journey, and his works are the rebuild of different memory fragments.

Selected exhibitions: LIU Weijian: The Stage With Light, ShanghART Shanghai, Shanghai (2023); Beyond 2003-2023, Mingyuan Art Museum, Shanghai (2023); LIU Weijian: The Stage With Light, Art Museum of Guangming Culture and Art Center, Shenzhen (2022); LIU Weijian: On The Way, Barn for Contemporary Art, Shenzhen (2018); Turning Point - Contemporary Art in China Since 2000, Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai; China 8, Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg, Germany (2015); LIU Weijian: The Idea Before Sunrise, Galería Yusto, Giner, Malaga, Spain (2012); Liu Weijian: Farewell my Country, Gallery Louis Vuitton Maison, Hong Kong (2011); LIU Weijian: Antenna, ShanghART Gallery, Shanghai (2010); China Power Station: Part II, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway (2007); LIU Weijian: The Call of Crowns, BizArt Art Center, Shanghai (2007), etc.

His works are also selected into the collection of important institutes: Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai; Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo, Norway; DSL Collection, Paris, France, etc.