Liu Ye's Berlin Exhibition Reveals Influences from van Eyck to Bauhaus

Liu Ye's studio in Beijing reflects his aesthetic inclinations, featuring minimal decor, midcentury modern furniture, and a porcelain figurine of Chairman Mao. The artist has maintained a decades-long fascination with Jan van Eyck, sparked by seeing Portrait of a Man (Giovanni Arnolfini?) (c. 1440) at Berlin's Gemäldegalerie in the early 1990s. His early education at Beijing's School of Arts & Crafts provided a 'secondhand Bauhaus' foundation in modernist theories, later complemented by firsthand exposure in Germany. This background informs a recent series of works devoted to Bauhaus architecture, book covers, and Oskar Schlemmer's ballet dancers. Liu vehemently rejects political interpretations of his work, insisting that colors like red carry no inherent symbolism. His paintings frequently incorporate literary references, most notably in 'The Book Paintings' series featuring exact reproductions of the first page of Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita from three different editions. The artist's father, a writer of children's literature, discouraged him from pursuing writing due to political dangers during the Cultural Revolution, steering him toward painting instead. Liu arrived in Berlin in 1989 via Aeroflot, landing in East Berlin where his Chinese passport allowed unique freedom of movement between the divided city's sectors. New work by Liu Ye is on view at Esther Schipper in Berlin from September 11 to October 23, 2021.