Zheng Liu was a professional artist in Beijing, China and participated in exhibitions in many Asian, European and South American countries. Immigrated to Australia in 2016 and now is a professional artist in Brisbane.
An artist sees the world in a different way from the ordinary people. While the latter tend to focus on the plot and logic, the former fixes his eyes more on color, light and shadow. It is normal, though not in an absolute sense. As a result, a common landscape may, through the lens of an artist, appears dynamic, attractive and mysterious.
What I admire is an aesthetics of minimalism, which is more a philosophy than an aesthetic taste. To extract what can touch our heartstring from the complex visual images and restore the world to simplicity are what I am pursuing. For painting, detailed portrait resembles a drama, bustled with activities; and simple depicting is like a single song, unfolding its charm independently.
The boundless sea and vast sky, in my eyes, are sending a message of freedom. Proceeding from this enlightenment, what an artist pursues is not to imitate what he has seen, but to recreate a landscape with his inspiration. That is why all his attention is directed to his works. The pleasure of imitation of the image is meaningless for him now, and only the aesthetic enjoyment of applying his genius can satisfy him. In this stage, an artist has transcended the representation and reached the depth of spirit. The so-called drawing nature consists in nowhere but the subtle materialization of an artist’s concepts and ideas. A free command and application of his genius is what helps an artist enjoy more freedom than a photographer.
A poetic mood oriented from “unpredictable”, supramundane and spiritual.
The beauty of music lies in its flowing and intangible nature. To musicalize a painting, an abstract beauty should be refined from the representation. As melody and rhythm constitute the beauty of music, the ingenious combination of light and color adds a musical charm to a painting.
A painting appeals to me is not in the style of mountain-shaking power but of ride-the-wind leisure.
Instagram: liu_zheng_art
PRIZES
2023 12 Years Old, First Prize, Harold and Agnes Richardson Drawing Prize, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2022 Self-Portrait in the Morning, Petrie Terrace Gallery Award, the Salon des Refuses 2022, Brisbane, Australia
EXHIBITIONS
2023 Brisbane Landmarks, Landscapes and Personalities 2023, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2023 Harold and Agnes Richardson Drawing Prize, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2022 An Artist’s Place, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2022 The Salon des Refuses 2022, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2022 Queensland Figurative 2022, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2022 The 132nd RQAS (Royal Queensland Art Society) Brisbane Branch Members’ Annual Exhibition, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2022 Brisbane Landmarks, Landscapes and Personalities 2022, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2021 Art of Imagination, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2021 The 131st RQAS (Royal Queensland Art Society) Brisbane Branch Members’ Annual Exhibition, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2019 14th Curitiba International Biennial, Curitiba, Brazil
2018 Wave-rider – Solo Exhibition of Paintings by Zheng (Leo) Liu, 798 XYZ Gallery, Beijing, China
2016 Color Symbiosis – Chinese Contemporary Artists Exchange Exhibition, National Gallery, San Jose, Costa Rica
2015 Oriental Beauty – Exhibition of Contemporary Works by Chinese Artists, Providence Cultural Center, San Diego, Chile
2014 Advance Bravely – “Horse”, Chinese Contemporary Culture and Arts Exhibition, Beijing, China
2013 WE:1994-2013—The 20th Anniversary Collective Exhibition of the Artists in Songzhuang China, Songzhuang Fine Arts Gallery, Beijing, China
2009 Virtual + Superficies Four Artists’ Exhibition, China Space Gallery, Beijing, China
2008 Limited Distance, LDX Contemporary Art Center, Beijing, China
2008 Icon of Asia, EM arts Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2008 2nd China Today, Canvas International Art Gallery, Amstelveen, Holland
2007 ShContemporary 2007, Shanghai, China
2007 Urban Space-The Solo Exhibition of Zheng (Leo) Liu, M Gallery, Beijing, China
2007 Contemporary Art Show, Songzhuang Fine Arts Gallery, Beijing, China
2007 Beijing Udumbara Flower Gallery Invitation Show, Beijing Udumbara Flower Gallery, Beijing, China
2006 Beijing Soemo Fine Arts Gallery Unveiling Show, Beijing Soemo Fine Arts Gallery, Beijing, China
2006 Beijing Dongcheng District Art Center 1st Oil-painting Show, Beijing Dongcheng District Art Center, Beijing, China
2006 Beijing Times Gallery 1st Contemporary Art Top-pick Show, Beijing Times Gallery, Beijing, China
