Liu Ke's First Italian Solo Exhibition Opens at Milan's Galleria Bonelli

Chinese artist and educator Liu Ke is presenting his first solo exhibition in Italy at Galleria Bonelli in Milan. The show features recent paintings created between 2022 and 2026, offering insight into his artistic practice. Liu Ke, born in 1976 in Ningxiang, Hunan Province, currently divides his time between Guangzhou and Ningxiang. He has been increasingly active in the European art scene with previous exhibitions at Kunsthalle Kempten and venues in Munich. The exhibition, curated by Fabio Cavallucci, includes works from his 'Ecce Homo' series, which reinterprets the biblical reference from an Eastern perspective to explore themes of self-formation and human existence. Liu Ke describes his creative process as a continuous self-shaping that occurs through intellectual development and social relationships rather than external appearance. His work blends philosophical inquiry with visual expression, influenced by thinkers including Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche. The paintings initially appear as abstract forms with vibrant colors like red, emerald green, and ultramarine blue, but upon closer inspection reveal impressions of landscapes, bodies, and figures. Liu Ke views abstraction not as an isolated system but as an encounter between subjective ideas and nature. The exhibition also facilitates cultural exchange between China and Italy, featuring collaborations between Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and students from Milan's Accademia di Brera. Several Chinese artists from Guangzhou are participating alongside selected Italian students. Additionally, the presentation highlights museums and exhibition spaces Liu Ke has founded and directs in China, including Sabaku in Guangzhou's ancient city, Boxes Museum in Shunfeng Mountain Park, and Songshan Lake Boxes Museum. He is also transforming a former coal mine in his hometown into a new artistic production and research center. The exhibition demonstrates Liu Ke's integration of painting practice, theoretical research, and institutional engagement.