The Lied Art Gallery’s newest exhibit, “Asian Beauty Trespassing Borders,” attempts to break down cultural barriers and expose members of the Omaha community to Chinese culture through the universal language of art.
The exhibit opened to a record crowd of nearly 300 people on Jan. 20. It was a collaboratiion among the Asian World Center, the Lied Art Gallery, The University Committee on Lectures, Films, and Concerts and the Nanjing Arts Institute. Its opening coincides with the gallery’s 45th anniversary.
Through the formation of the Asian World Center, director Dr. Maorong Jiang has established a close relationship with the Nanjing Arts Institute.
Creighton’s connection with the institute has expanded beyond campus. Professor Yang Zhilin from the Nanjing Arts Institute in China traveled to Omaha to help launch the exhibit.
“Considering the impact of the cultural globalization, the title of the exhibit Asian Beauty Trespassing Borders reflects a significant reality regarding the appreciation of art in various styles and from different places,” Jiang said. “Using the word ‘trespassing,’ I mean to depict the fact that freedom embedded in aesthetic beauty is beyond race, time and space.
Professor Yang Zhilin’s scrolls are literally “boundless,” with his longest scroll reaching a staggering 37 feet.
Dr. Erin Averett, art history professor and the Lied Art Gallery director at Creighton, said Zhilin’s scrolls reveal the Chinese philosophy behind processing and interpreting art.
“Art is meant to be contemplated and studied,” Averett said. “Viewers get involved in the art, taking time studying each line, each stroke.”
Despite the elements of time and change, the artists’ works also represent a unity derived from the senses. Ning Zhao used brush strokes in his watercolors to depict traditional Chinese waterfront scenes.
“The value of an artwork depends on its mood, its beautiful images and mind nourishing unity,” Zhao wrote.
Professor Zhou Jingxin reflects time and space through his images of pagodas and courtyards. The shapes meld together into one sensory experience that is complemented by the paper’s texture.
One of the more contemporary pieces was Professor Zhang Youxian’s “Reading” series, which features a naked woman reading in various poses to invoke the raw, pure emotions one feels while reading.
“By reading you gain knowledge, and knowledge makes your dream a reality,” Zhang wrote.
Those involved in the exhibit’s organization said they hope the international appeal of this exhibit will expose viewers to Chinese culture through the transcendent power of art.
“I wish we come to see the power of cultural integration from our human imagination through artistry, and work hand-in-hand for the betterment of humanity despite we are all different in terms of race, gender, religion, age and nationality,” Jiang said.