策展人/Curator:张远帆 Zhang Yuanfan

艺术家/Artists: 小林敬生Keisei Kobayashi, 陈琦Chen Qi

展期/ Duration: 2019.4.27 - 6.30

开幕/ Opening: 2019.4.27 (Sat.) 3:00pm

地点/ Venue: 亚洲艺术中心 (北京) Asia Art Center (Beijing) 

北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路2号大山子798艺术区（周一休馆）

Dashanzi 798 Art Dist., No.2, Jiuxianqiao Rd., Chaoyang Dist., Beijing

亚洲艺术中心荣幸地宣布将于2019年4月27日举办“生逢其时 - 小林敬生&陈琦作品展”，为观众带来两位艺术家的精彩之作。小林敬生，1944年出生于日本岛根县，自1997年起担任日本多摩美术大学教授，现为日本版画协会理事。陈琦，1963年生于中国南京，现为中央美术学院研究生院常务副院长、教授、博士生导师，中国美术馆展览评审委员会委员，中国美术家协会版画艺术委员会委员，中国国家画院版画院秘书长。本次展览不仅是日本艺术家小林敬生在中国境内的首次集中规模展出，也是艺术家陈琦在即将参展第58届威尼斯双年展之前的一次系统梳理。展览展出小林敬生七十年代末至今，长达四十余年创作的精选木口木刻作品十余件；以及陈琦最新创作的大尺幅水印木刻与早期具象作品，旨在构建一场不同时空背景下两位艺术家的对话，展现他们关于版画的不同理念以及创作关联。小林敬生与陈琦按齿序，两人间有将近二十岁的间隔，他们的版画作品均具有独树一帜的风格，通过作品回应时代，体现对于当下的思考。展览将持续至2019年6月30日。

小林敬生的作品，从关注社会现实的波澜激荡，揭示生存环境的变异，逐渐将重心放在对未来的乐观设想的描绘，眼神由犀利转为慈祥，画面情态也由激越转为祥和，展现的是对地球众“生”和睦共栖的希冀。陈琦的作品，则由从对身旁器物和周遭景物的凝视，逐渐演进到对抽象图形与文化情怀的结合体的不倦探求，视线由表入里，要素由繁入简，画面情境则渐趋深邃幽玄而试图探及“生”之要义。


小林敬生 Keisei Kobayashi　白色早晨-群舞•05D At the Dawn-Gunbu•05D　图心 87x233.2cm; 图纸 115x259cm　木口木刻版画 Wood Engraving　2014


小林敬生 Keisei Kobayashi　漂泊-No.6D Space Wonder Land-No.6D　图心 37x61.5cm; 图纸 55.5x82.3cm　木口木刻版画 Wood Engraving　1981


小林敬生 Keisei Kobayashi　漂泊-No.10C  Space Wonder Land-No.10C　图心 41.5x97cm; 图纸 68x106cm　木口木刻版画 Wood Engraving　1984


小林敬生 Keisei Kobayashi　日复升-绿色之星•8D  Sunrises Again-Illusional Planet•8D　图心 103.2x257.5cm; 图纸 124x283cm　木口木刻版画 Wood Engraving　2008


小林敬生 Keisei Kobayashi　苏醒时刻-群舞 94•10CTransferred Soul-Gunbu 94•10C　图心 87.5x105.8cm; 图纸 105.5x125.7cm　木口木刻版画 Wood Engraving　1994


小林敬生 Keisei Kobayashi　早晨-群舞•04A At Daybreak•04A　图心 58x29.5cm; 图纸 72.2x44.3cm　木口木刻版画 Wood Engraving　2014

两人的生长路径，与当地当时的潮流走势多有龃龉，途中也不无质疑的声音入耳。端赖二人的矢志不移，也好在身处多元化的时代，才得以在众生纷纭中，安静地辟出独属个人的生命语境，同时也以自己的生长回应时代。正如小林所言，抽离了时代因素，将无从谈论其作品。时代造人，复又因人而生动丰满，又岂非时代之幸。陈琦曾说：“我们生在这个伟大的时代就应该把手上自己的事情做好，才不辜负这个时代，才不辜负自己短短几十年的生命”。所谓“生逢其时”者，此之谓也。

Asia Art Center is pleased to announce the opening of Right Place Right Time - Artworks by Keisei Kobayashi & Chen Qi on April 27th, 2019. This is a Duo Exhibition of showing two artists' works. Keisei Kobayashi was born in Shimane prefecture, Japan in 1944. He has been a professor in Tama Art University since 1997 and is currently the director of The Japan Print Association. Chen Qi was born in Nanjing, China in 1963, he is currently working as a professor and the Deputy Dean of Graduate School of CAFA (Central Academy of Fine Arts), the associate director of Printmaking Art Committee of China Artists Association, and the secretary general of Printmaking Department of China National Academy of Painting. This exhibition is not only the first time for Japanese artist Keisei Kobayashi to show his oeuvre in China, but also a systematic review of Chen Qi's works along with the upcoming 58th La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition features more than a dozen pieces of wood engraving by Keisei Kobayashi during his 40 years art career from late 1970s till now, these works are in juxtaposition with Chen Qi's latest large-scale woodblock paintings as well as early figuration works so as to create a dialogue between them. The exhibition build a bridge of connecting the two artists between whom lies a 20-year gap, they put their reflection about our times into their works and show their distinct creative conception. The exhibition will be on view until June 30, 2019.

From concerns in the vicissitudes of social reality to exposing the shifts in our surrounding environment, Kobayashi's work has been gradually leaning toward optimistic depictions of the future; his incisiveness has softened, and his once aggressive imageries have embraced a gentle touch in an effort to convey his wishes for all "beings" (sheng) to live in harmony. Chen Qi’s work has progressed into continuous explorations into a hybrid of abstract shapes and cultural sentiments through continuous observations at his surrounding objects and scenes; his perspective pierces deep beneath the surface, his former complex elements are now simplistic, and his imagery seems so enigmatically mystical as it attempts to probe at the significance of "life" (sheng).

The paths these two have taken might have seemed incongruous with the course of time and space as people never shied from voicing their criticisms and doubts. The two’s unyielding stance and, luckily, them having been born in an era that accepts different voices allowed for their individual discourse to spring, and frees them to respond to the era from their distinct perspectives. As Kobayashi once said, it would be futile to discuss his work once the factor of time is removed. Times make the man just as men have enriched the times, and is that not a great tale of our times? Chen Qi once said, "Having been born in this magnificent era, we should complete the tasks handed to us so as to not waste the time we are in, and to not squander our lives of limited years." The proverb of Right Place Right Time seems to be exactly so.