Young Chinese artist Ziqian Liu's exhibition in Bormio: self-portraits exploring her body

An exhibition series with an increasingly international outlook resumes atHotel Meublé Sertorelli Reit in Bormio, a small charming hotel now known for its interest and presence in hosting contemporary art projects. From Aug. 19 to Oct. 7, 2023, the exhibition Inner Eye by artist Ziqian Liu curated by Paola Sosio and Claudio Composti will be presented with a double opening on Saturday, Aug. 19 and Saturday, Aug. 26 from 6-11 p.m. On display will be a series of medium- and large-scale self-portraits, made since 2020, in which the Chinese photographer juxtaposes her body with natural elements such as flowers or fruit, in compositions that express-thanks to the skillful use of shapes and colors-a sense of balance and calm contemplation.

While the harmony achieved by Ziqian Liu’s scenes alludes to the wish for a balance between human beings and the world around them, the photographer’s work is strongly introspective and intimate. For the artist, in fact, self-portraiture is a way of speaking to herself: the process of image construction - the composition of objects, one’s own positioning within the photograph - is carried out in complete solitude, in complete freedom and in slow time, as long and slow is the process of self-knowledge.

“I choose self-portraiture,” Ziqian says, “because in everyday life we have a lot of time to communicate with others, but I think it is necessary to devote time to oneself as well. I think sometimes loneliness is also fun. I love the moments when I can feel myself breathing.”

Therefore, in looking at his shots, the viewer has the feeling of reading the pages of a personal diary, of witnessing a private moment or moment to which, however, he does not have complete access. Ziqian’s face, in fact-and paradoxically, since these are self-portraits-is always denied or revealed in small strokes, as if to invite the viewer to imagine it or replace it with his own, in a game of cross-references between the self and the other.

The final outcome of such a creative process evokes a feminine figure, and a world around her, harmonious and quiet, actually the result of a meticulous work of total control of self and all the elements at play: “During the shoots,” the author explains, “I make continuous adjustments of the props and the position of my body, until I am satisfied with the result. I press the shutter dozens of times on each image to choose the one I like best. So sometimes it is not only creative work, but also an exercise in physical strength and endurance.” There are no significant post-production processes in his images, as the composition must be perfect at the moment of the shot.

The exhibition will conclude on Oct. 7 with participation in the Nineteenth Day of the Contemporary organized by AMACI.

Ziqian Liu was born in 1990 in China, graduated from theUniversitỳ of Technology in Sydney in 2015 and then settled in Shanghai where he began photographing in 2018. In these few years he has produced numerous projects; he has worked a lot especially during the nearly three years of total lockdown in his country. His work is followed by tens of thousands of people on social media and much loved in Italy and Europe. Ziqian Liu has been represented in Italy since 2022 by Paola Sosio Contemporary Art and has been exhibited in several occasions and important Photography and Contemporary Art Fairs in Milan, Verona and Turin.

For all information, you can visit the official Paola Sosio Contemporary Art website.

Pictured: Ziqian Liu, Light & Shadow #1 (2022). Giclée print Hanemhule paper, cm. 53x40, 10+2pa. Courtesy Paola Sosio Gallery. Ph. credit: Rag

Young Chinese artist Ziqian Liu's exhibition in Bormio: self-portraits exploring her body

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