Category Archives: Art Work

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Common Threads- The Pattern That Connects

The Pattern that Connects ，20x20cm embroidery on black cotton , 2022  Niamh Cunningham in collaboration with Dolores Cunningham 

简体中文

This recent work is part of a patchwork blanket of artworks by Irish diaspora artists and artists with Irish Community links worldwide. It is made in celebration of the first Saint Brigid’s Day on Feb 1st 2023 . (Bank Holiday is on the first Monday of Feb )

The Common Threads project for St Brigid’s day celebrations 2023 is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

This work is currently exhibited at  EPIC, Irish Emigration Museum, Dublin. Feb 1-14th 2023

 

Below is a two minute video of making the artwork while back in Ireland . 

 

 

The Story of St Brigid and the Cloak

She approached the King of Leinster requesting the land on which to build her monastery. The place she selected in Kildare was ideal. It was near a lake where water was available, in a forest where there was firewood and near a fertile plain on which to grow crops. The King refused her request. Brigid was not put off by his refusal. Rather, she and her sisters prayed that the King’s heart would soften. She made her request again but this time she asked,“Give me as much land as my cloak will cover.”

Seeing her small cloak, he laughed and then granted this request. However, Brigid had instructed her four helpers each to take a corner of the cloak and walk in opposite directions – north, south, east and west. As they did this the cloak began to grow and spread across many acres. She now had sufficient land on which to build her monastery. The King and his entire household were dismayed and amazed. They realised that this woman was truly blessed by God. The King became a patron of Brigid’s monastery, assisting her with money, food and gifts. Later he converted to Christianity. It was on this land in Kildare that she built her dual monastery c.470.

 

“The Pattern that Connects”

It‘s not easy to define “The Pattern that Connects”. Deep Systems thinker Gregory Bateson said nature works in a different ways to the way that people think.

When we separate humanity from other living things , if we separate humans from climate , if we theoretically separate them , scientifically separate them, if we separate them even in concept, we get the problems we have got .

Describing relationships , using contrast and context instead of isolating it with a name . So it is not looking at the substance of an item and what made that part but more about where did the design come from that makes those parts work together and so there are patterns of similarities and differences .

The patterns of recognition in nature , the redundancies , the similarities of things , these are all themed with variation. The combination of theme and variation immediately points you to something behind it …a formative principle

What is the pattern that connects ?…..was never meant to be answered

And so this simple solid imagery of three tree stories cojoined by celtic interlacing aspires to different levels of meaning.

 Video Voice Over

“The Pattern that Connects” is an embroidery work of three tree stories.

An oak , a ginkgo and a willow tree are co-joined at the roots with celtic interlacing . The forest floor is where all the connections happen but also our stories are connected and interlaced and interdependent.

The three tree stories of oak, willow and ginkgo are of St Brigid’s first christian community in a copse of oak, which later became Chill Dara Church of the Oak known as Kildare today. The willow story is of my mother planting a willow 50 years ago in our garden the year my brother was born (who is named Dara ie Oak ) and the Gingko is my story of studying this tree in China where I have lived for the past 12 years. It originates at a time the dinosaurs walked the planet. I have made a series of Ginkgo paintings , three Ginkgo paintings are on long term display in Huaxin hospital- orthopedic centre , Beijing .

The process is a collaboration with my Mother who taught me all my knitting and sewing skills as a very young child in primary school . She is 86 and suffering memory loss and the process of engaging her in this artwork, the skills she used to know to a mastery level , I am learning and making new discoveries with her as I engage with her on this journey of process and connection.

A huge thank you to Mary Hunter from the Irish Patchwork Society , Sophie Rogan of the Irish Abroad Unit DFA , and to the Embassy of Ireland in China .

Special thank you to film maker Gary Mc Hugh for the above video while I was back in Ireland creating the work with my Mother .

Disclosed secret: at the end of the video he told my Mum “ I will let Hollywood know you are available Mrs C ! “ And hence the big laugh at the end of the video clip .

 

A special thank you to the Cultural  Section in the Embassy of Ireland in China , the Department of Foreign Affairs and The Irish Patchwork Society 

 

Common Threads Project 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sucrose Series showing alongside Microbe Art in online ‘Artists from Ireland’ catalogue

 

Thrilled to be showing “Sucrose” series side-by- side with “Microbe” artwork in this online catalogue at the Sasse Museum of Art, LA, USA.

This online exhibition hosts thirteen Irish artists including :

 

 

Abigail O’Brien

Una Sealy

Diana Copperwhite

Niamh Cunningham

Sile Walsh

Trudi Van der Elsen

Mick O Dea

Tom Fitzgerald

Eamon Colman

James Horan

Maurice Quillinan

Stephen Lawlor

Diane Henshaw

 

Here is the link to the catalogue where you can learn more about each artist here,  

https://view.publitas.com/inland-empire-museum-of-art/artists_from_ireland/

 

 

On Saturday  15th January PST,  interesting  artist talk on Zoom was moderated by John Brantingham and hosted by Gene Sasse held on Saturday 15th January PST

https://sasseartmuseum.org/tv/art-talks.htm

 

Sasse Museum of Art link is

https://sasseartmuseum.org/museum_catalogs.htm

 

 

Special thank you to curator Maurice Quillinan for gathering a wonderful exhibition together , for bringing it to the right people at the Sasse Museum of Art  where it  was produced with perfect care and insight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Peoples’ Portraits for Patient Focussed Research

简单中文

Very pleased to recently install 39 portraits in a working environment at the EBM (Evidence Based Medicine) Centre , School of Medicine at Tsinghua University, Beijing.，

Main Conference Room

Entrance to EBM Centre

Nurse Liu Yan’s Office

The portraits have been good companions in my studio over the years and reminders of different projects in China over the past decade. Some of the portraits are of artists , curators ,  students, friends and family.

 

A big thank you to the people working at EBM,  Nurse Yan Liu and Dr Liang for being so helpful and accommodating during installation.

A special thank you to Professor Daniel Porter Director of the EBM centre.

 

There will be a special reception for this installation after the Winter Olympics.  If you are interested in joining us please let me know. 

 

 

 

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Link to previous document on Portrait Series 

 

Exhibition History

 

Since 2013 I have exhibited parts of the Portrait Series in more than twenty two exhibitions around China with a couple of exhibitions outside China.

 

2022  People’s Portraits   The EBM Centre ，Tsinghua Intelligent Health Care Research Building Beijing 

2021 Her Name – Existence Peninsula Art Museum,   Weihai, Shandong, July

2021 The Second Step (mini solo) Joy Beans Space, Jiu Longtou hutong, BJ June

2020 The Pattern that Connects, duo show , Dong Yue Art Museum Beijing Oct

2019 China Ireland at MUSEu&m, Expo park , Shanghai, Nov

2019 Gobi Heaven Art Festival  Inner Mongolia, Aug

2019 Bloomsday  Irish Embassy in Beijing, June

2019 Carpe Diem Granary Art Centre，SiShui County, Shandong, May -June

2019 Beyond the Form of Art  Wick Art Centre , Budapest , Hungary, April-May

2019 Odyssey the Return Dong Yue Art Museum, BJ April

2018 Mortgaged Time Red Gate Gallery 798，Beijing, April                                                                                               

2017 International Visual Art Hunan Exhibition Mezzi Master, Changsha, Hunan, Dec

2017 Art:Gwangju:17 Gwangju art fair，South Korea, September

2016 The Painted Thread， Joy Pavillion, CBD , Beijing September

2016 Visual – Female Exhibition Dahua 1935 Xi’an

2016 International Representational and Abstract Art Jiujiang Jiangxi, January  

2015 Recombination and Gene Mutation– 1st International Biennial of Contemporary Art University of Inner Mongolia，Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, December

2015 Red and Green- International Female Art Exhibition Ningbo City Cultural Centre March -April

2014 An Eastward Calling  (solo) Dong Yue Art Museum, Beijing

2014 Convergence Irish Wave 2014  C3 Art Space 798                

2013 Women L’ eau Art Shanghai  M 50 Moganshan Rd, Shanghai， March

2013 Baby Baby Irish Centre Shanghai, Central Plaza,

 

The milk coloured portraits of young students were first exhibited for an Irish Wave  Exhibition  in Shanghai in 2013. This group of portraits are called “Transparent Milk Series” which began in November 2012.

2015 Recombination and Gene Mutation– 1st International Biennial of Contemporary Art University of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, December

2016 The Painted Thread，Joy Pavillion, CBD , Beijing September

2019 Carpe Diem Granary Art Centre，SiShui County, Shandong, May -June

2019 China Ireland at MUSEu&m, Expo park , Shanghai, November

2019 Odyssey the Return Dong Yue Art Museum, BJ April

2021 Her Name – Existence Peninsula Art Museum,   Weihai, Shandong, July

 

 

 

 

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Forest Breath – Currently showing in Xishuangbanna

Banna Overstory Niamh Cunningham 倪芙。瑞莲 acrylic on canvas 100x120cm 2021

简单中文

The tree inhales, a temporary crystallization of carbon , holding it within the wood. Each year a ring of growth,  jacketing the previous year ,  a molecular signature of the atmosphere, an annual archive of our biosphere.

Banna Vortex Niamh Cunningham 倪芙。瑞莲 acrylic on canvas 120x100cm 2021 

Tree and atmosphere make each other, plant being a crystallization of carbon and air, but what is air? ………………….Air is 400 million years of forest breath.

 

 

The two paintings above are currently showing in Xishuangbanna State art Musuem in the group exhibition “Rhythm of Life” curated by Gao Xiang and Zhou Rui. These paintings were made during the November artist residency.

“Rhythm of Life “ runs throughout December at the Xishuangbanna State Art Museum , Jinghong, Yunnan.

 

During the artist residency in Menglun , Xishuangbanna , Yunnan Nov 2021

Many thanks to  Xishuangbanna  artist Han Xuan  罕璇 ( Nam) for this video.

 

Media link to the group exhibition Rhythm of Life 

Medial link 1

Media link 2

Link to previous blog about the  artist Residency

 

A huge thank you to curators Goa Xiang and Zhou Rui  all those  wonderful people involved with both the residency  in Menglun and the people who worked so hard make the  exhibition  a success in Jinghong, Yunnan, 

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Hair Skull – currently showing in Shanghai, Dec 2021

 

Hair Skull , artist hair, Niamh Cunningham 2013

“Linear’ is a group exhibition showing at Jingheng Art Space, Shanghai , 88 Jingheng Square,  818, Zhiwei Road, Jinshan.

Working with DNA as an art material :

Physically knitting your own genomic material is a very contemplative process. Each strand is tested for strength, elasticity and tensility before being selected for specific sections of the sculpture. The white hairs are strong and tensile and suspend the skull with ease. The coloured hair is soft but elastic and resilient.

Being able to see through own genome and acknowledging it as your “coded” self as well as your personal story or experience, this screen of transparent knitted hair frames your world view. Holding on to the idea that it is my perception, acknowledging my referenced life (family traits and other things that are contained in my genome) and personal experience, this is what is framing my view of the world.

 

Hair Lock  artist hair, Niamh Cunningham 2015

Consciousness is controlled hallucinations:

This is an interesting soundbite worth looking into. We know now that green red and yellow colours are not objective properties of objects in the world, they are just attributes of reflected light. And as the brain works out calculations of wavelengths of light it determines what colour something is. So we don’t even passively receive colour from the world but we actively attribute it to things in the world.

Neuro scientist Anil Seth talks about controlled hallucinations as being our consciousness and says it is not just our perceptions of the outside world but also ourselves, our memory, everything we perceive is a construction.  According to Seth instead of perception depending largely on signals coming into the brain from the outside world, it depends as much, if not more, on perceptual predictions flowing in the opposite direction. We don’t just passively perceive the world. We actively generate it. The world we experience comes as much, if not more, from the inside out as from the outside in.

Hair Skull, artists hair, Niamh Cunningham 2013

Cultural perception and our ecological crisis:

This brings us back to our ecological crisis. How can we change our perspective and ways of relating to ‘life’ as a planetary process. Developing a cultural ability to see our actions and the changes we can make, to view this from a systemic perspective would be a good goal. I believe culture and the arts have a vital role in shifting these norms of perception to positive changes in consumer choice which will leading to new industries and economies which are actually sustainable.  

 

A huge thank you to curator Chang Feng and Shanghai Jingheng Art Space.  The exhibition continues till December 20th.

Media

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SojMwVGBp_VEUjUA4NoY-g

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The Meeting of the Waters -The Hangzhou-Beijing Grand Canal

For decades, waterways have fascinated me. Nineteen years ago I began painting the Al Khor series in Dubai. When I arrived in Beijing eleven years ago I continued to paint these fluid conduits , the canals in Beijing are now part of parks and recreation areas offering places of rest and rejuvenation to residents of the city.

Canal Bank Walk – Yuan Dadu Relics park Beijing  180x200cm oil pigment rubbing Niamh Cunningham 倪芙瑞莲2021

 

Residency Studio space , 15th floor of Art Park , Tongzhou

 

In August 2021 I spent twelve days in neighbouring Tongzhou on a painting residency for the Grand Canal Project .

The Hangzhou Beijing Grand canal is the longest man made waterway in the world.  Originally built over 2,000 years ago, bringing grain from the south to the capital in the north , it reached its peak in the 13th century connecting five river basins including the Yellow river and the Yangtze.

Residency Studio space , 15th floor of Art Park , Tongzhou

 

During the residency I shared a large highrise studio space with  Prof Gao Xiang from Yunnan University. We worked quite intensively , allowing each other space and quiet until meal times where he shared many thoughts, insights and stories .

 

The two works I made for this project are quite different, Canal Bank Walk- Yuan Dadu Relics park  is oil pigment rubbing with cloth.  I allow myself two oil paintings every year until I have finished my supplies. This slow phasing out is a long sad goodbye in terms of my painting practice but it will be eventually replaced with acrylic , mixed media and new media.  

The Meeting of the Waters 180x200cm acrylic  Niamh Cunningham 倪芙瑞莲2021

The Meeting of the Waters is the view outside the residency studio window where the famous Randeng Pagoda tower built in the 500’s stands . It  served as a landmark for barges so people knew after a very long journey  their destination was near.

Enjoying a chat with Fan Di’an President of CAFA (Central Academy of Arts) and  Peng Feng (Dean of Arts Peking University) during the opening at XinGuangDa Musuem on Saturday

 

A huge thank you to people who made this residency such a valuable experience , to Sophie Zhong and Mr Peng Fei of Deiruiao Culture Media  , Beijing Tongzhou bureau of Culture and Tourism  and Beijing Deruiao Culture Media, to academicians FanD’ian  and Peng Feng , to the girls张佳妮 Zhang Jiani and LiLi李莉 on the 15th floor of Art Park 9  who kindly opened early and closed late during the residency, to AK and to Rainie (華雨)  to Prof Gao Xiang for his great company throughout the residency , also for the great company of fellow artists whom I got to know on Saturday’s opening  and at the beginning of the residency  

 

 

 

 

Participating artists include:

Fan di’an, Gao Xiang, Jing Shijian, Kang Lei， Li Aiguo , Li Mu, Qiu Ting, Wang Keju,    Wang Wei, Xue Lei, Xu WeiGuo, Xiang Yang, Yuxu Hong, Zheng Lu, Zhang Lujiang , Zhang Xinquan, Anna Kazmina,  Fabio Barrera,  Jacopo della ragione, Jiri Straka, Mica, Niamh Cunningham , Sally , Santiago Barrio, Wieslaw Borkowski Jr.

I will attach media links here once they become available

 

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Working with DNA as an art material -Hair Lock and Hair Skull showing in ‘ Linear’ at LangKong, 798 -July2021

Hair Skull，artists hair, Niamh Cunningham 瑞莲 2013

简体中文

The exhibition Linear is currently showing at LangKong art Museum(朗空美术馆)   in 798 (situated 3 doors away  from Red Gate gallery )

The Hair Skull has not been exhibited in 798 since 2013 so if you are in 798 please come along, you can also see the Hair Lock. These are works made over 7 years ago. The Hair lock was exhibited in New York (2015) and Taipei (2016) with the Intimate Transgressions project.

Hair Lock, artist’s hair, Niamh Cunningham 2015

Working with DNA as an art material :

Physically knitting your own genomic material is a very contemplative process. Each strand is tested for strength, elasticity and tensility before being selected for specific sections of the sculpture. The white hairs are strong and tensile and suspend the skull with ease. The coloured hair is soft but elastic and resilient.

All perceptions are acts of interpretation:

Being able to see through own genome and acknowledging it as your “coded” self as well as your personal story or experience, this screen of transparent knitted hair frames your world view. Holding on to the idea that it is my perception, acknowledging my referenced life (family traits and other things that are contained in my genome) and personal experience, this is what is framing my view of the world.

 

Consciousness is controlled hallucinations:

This is an interesting soundbite worth looking into. We know now that green red and yellow colours are not objective properties of objects in the world, they are just attributes of reflected light. And as the brain works out calculations of wavelengths of light it determines what colour something is. So we don’t even passively receive colour from the world but we actively attribute it to things in the world.

Neuro scientist Anil Seth talks about controlled hallucinations as being our consciousness and says it is not just our perceptions of the outside world but also ourselves, our memory, everything we perceive is a construction.  According to Seth instead of perception depending largely on signals coming into the brain from the outside world, it depends as much, if not more, on perceptual predictions flowing in the opposite direction. We don’t just passively perceive the world. We actively generate it. The world we experience comes as much, if not more, from the inside out as from the outside in.

Hair Skull, artists hair, Niamh Cunningham 2013

Cultural perception and our ecological crisis:

This brings us back to our ecological crisis. How can we change our perspective and ways of relating to ‘life’ as a planetary process. Developing a cultural ability to see our actions and the changes we can make, to view this from a systemic perspective would be a good goal. I believe culture and the arts have a vital role in shifting these norms of perception to positive changes in consumer choice which will leading to new industries and economies which are actually sustainable.  

 

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Many thanks to curator Chang Feng, whom I have known many years and for whom I have the highest respect. Also to director Li Zheng 李征 of Langkong Art Museum  and all the hardworking team involved in ‘Linear’ .

Opening of ‘Linear’ at Langkong art Musuem 798  on Sat 10th July 2021

Linear will be exhibited till Jul 30th. There are amazing works showing by these artists ,

阿德里亚·彼得斯Adrian Peters（德国）\阿莲娜Alëna Olasyuk（乌克兰）\比尔·彭伯恩Bill Pangburn (美国) \陈澈Chen Che \高风Gao Feng \张丹Zhang Dan \李家瑞Li Jiarui \李沅Li Yuan \邵维春Shao Weichun \卢琳Lu Lin \王世龙Wang Shilong \王琪Wang Qi \夏国Xia Guo \杨志凌Yang Zhiling \张庭群Zhang Tingqun \张泓Zhang Hong \冉启泉Ran Qiquan \ 李永庚Li Yonggeng \ 吉苏•金Gisoo Kim（德国） \ 丁文尧Ding Wenyao \何红云He Hongyun（德国）\瑞莲Niamh Cunningham（爱尔兰）\刘水洋Liu Shuiyang\奥罗拉·诺雷纳·佛朗哥Aurora Noreña（墨西哥）\青木健二Kenji Aoki（JAPAN/USA）\陈学刚Chen Xuegang.          

 

At the opening on Saturday it was great to see old friends from projects years ago such as

张庭群Zhang Tingqun

I first met  Zhang Tingqun at an exhibition in Ordos, Zhang’s focus on the line is tantamount to his control of the brush.

李家瑞Li Jiarui

Over the years I often bumped into Li JiaRui on different projects in Qingdao , Ordos  and even the Gobi Dessert ! His supersaturated infusions of line and motion create space and time yet to be imagined.

陈学刚Chen Xue Gang

I first met video artist Chen Xue Gang  on the train to Hohot in 2015 for an exhibition . I remember his GIFS and our conversation back then. His current video work is a delightful morphing of human form .

杨志凌Yang Zhiling

I met Yang Zhiling a few years ago on a special visit to his impressive studio. 

陈澈Chen Che

This week I have found a new friend in Chen Che whose interests also strongly interweave fragmentation with nature. He has great English and kindly helped me with translation during speech time.

阿莲娜Alëna Olasyuk

Olasyuk takes penmanship to a different level, my personal favourites are her black works which defeat the limits of the paper surface.

王琪Wang Qi

 

There are many more participating artists I am looking forward to getting to know . 

‘Linear’ will run till July 30th at Langkong Art Museum in 798 , Beijing , it will then tour other cities such as Shenyang, Chengdu and Shanghai. Please click on the links for a more detailed overview of this exhibition. 

To see an overall view of the artworks by these artists please click on the links

 

Link 1 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/LDdm7QCVhqhEmKZFikABvA

 

Link 2 http://www.ym-china.com/zhanhuizixun/5787.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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New Interpretations of Art and Heritage -Suzhou Classical Gardens

Winding Wall  – Sucrose Series Niamh Cunningham 2021 

 

“Silent and Soft – It moistens everything -New Deconstruction of Art and Heritage” 

This current exhibition held at the Couples Garden Retreat  which is one of the nine World Heritage Gardens in Suzhou Classical Gardens .

 

 

 

 

 

The exhibits involve sculpture, painting, calligraphy, photography, video and installation. These works of art use contemporary art language and garden heritage dialogue, in the deep courtyard of classical gardens, “moisten things silently” into the garden, into the world cultural heritage.

 

A special thank you to curator Rong Chen, and all the Suzhou team involved.

Thank you also to artist friend 朱志刚 Zhu ZhiGang  

For a long time, I have been fascinated by the complicated and often disorienting landscapes of Chinese gardens. In these highly regarded gardens, scholars borrow from the Confucian geometric order, the Taoist search for an elixir (which is closer to the natural world than Confucian ceremonial). Gardens can also assist in meditation, as in Buddhism. The picture extends in an uncanny way in time and space, revealing long-ago insights into the natural world.

 

Participating artists: 

DIRD / Cai Dongdong / Chen Rong / Chen Naiqian / Cong Yunfeng / Donal Turner / Dai Jiafeng / Ding She / Fang Minyao / Guo Kewei / Hang Tianyi / Liu Changming / Liang Yajie / Lu Junzhou / Luo Bonian / Ni Fu Ruilian / Qian Ruya / Rushi Humanity Space / Sun Cunming / Tang Huawei / Tong Yan Runan / Wang Dameng / Cao Yonghua / Wang Qingsong / Wang Yabin / Wumen Aesthetic Art Institute / Wu Mengyuan / Yang Lidan / Zhu Xinyi / Naga Art Studio / Zhao Rongjun / Zhu Zhigang

 

 

The UNESCO World Heritage Training and Research Center in the Asia-Pacific Region (WHITRAP) is UNESCO’s Category 2 International Institution (Category 2 Centre), the first professional institution in the field of heritage protection established in a developing country. It serves the signatory countries of the World Heritage Convention in the Asia-Pacific region and other UNESCO member states, and is committed to the protection and development of world heritage sites in the Asia-Pacific region. The UNESCO World Heritage Training and Research Center in the Asia-Pacific Region is composed of three centers in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou. Suzhou Center (contracted by the Suzhou Municipal Government) is mainly responsible for traditional building technology and restoration, analysis of protection materials, and restoration and maintenance of historic gardens.

 

润物细无声

艺术与遗产新解构

Silent and soft, it moistens everything

New Interpretation of Art and Heritage

2021.6.12 — 7.11

开幕时间：6.12 下午1:00-2:30

分享时间：6.12 下午2:30-3:30

苏州耦园  

苏州市姑苏区仓街小新桥巷6号

 

主办单位 Organizer：

联合国教科文组织亚太地区世界遗产培训与研究中心（苏州）

The World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO(Suzhou)

 

苏州对外文化交流促进会园林文化专业委员会

Suzhou Association for the Promotion of International Cultural

Exchanges, Suzhou Gardens Committee

 

苏州吴门美学艺术研究院

Suzhou Wumen Institute of Art and Research

 

承办单位 Undertaker：

苏州市耦园管理处

Management Office of the Couple’s Garden Retreat

 

支持单位 Support unit：

西湖当代美术馆

Moca Westlake

骆伯年艺术基金会

Bonian Luo Art Foundation

如石人文空间 

Rushi Cultural Space

 

 

To view all the participating artworks in this project  the below links can be autotranslated into English

 

Link 1

 

Link 2

 

Link 3

 

Link 4 

 

Link 5 

 

Link 6 

 

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All Things Bright – June 10th

 On Thursday the exhibition “All things Bright- The Beauty of Biodiversity ” a global sustainable Art Initiative was held in the Shangrila Hotel hosted by Golden Bee.  It ran parallel to the International CSR symposium.

Foggy Dew – Wukou Si  Sucrose Series  mixed media 100x50cm Niamh Cunningham 瑞莲2020 

The Sucrose Series is a mixed media series which focusses on carefully selected nature photographic images which are then subjected to various ‘interventions” . These interventions represent the manmade interventions we have imposed on our planet since the industrial revolution. Following a process of multiple steps of intervention including sewing and printing on cotton, the ink is partially lifted from the surface into the sugar mixture, often Chinese water-colour is added, these pigments move in a state of flux as the sugar mixture crystalizes and so the painting continues its process in the following months and even years. The Sucrose Series involves not just the original artwork but many process images which document the changes  that has occur over many months or even years . Some of these  images from the different stages during the transformative crystalisation process reveal interesting happenings that also reflect the positive and negative feedbacks which happen to our biosphere . It is this complex network of events which are difficult to  isolate and attribute as direct consequence of a single action. This  artwork  has  been  shown  on  my  blog  a collection of tree stories  called  “Memory  Palace of  Trees ” in 2020 . This is a socio eco practice where the public is invited  to share tree stories. This year  tree stories are submitted  in the format of one minute videos.

Willow Ice,   process print Sucrose Series UV print on Aluminium composite, 120×160 cm Niamh Cunningham 2020 

with some of the participating artists including WangHainan 王海南，Jing Yumin 景于民， Gu Liming 顾黎明，myself,瑞莲 Michael St Amand , Zhang Meng 张锰，Mr Zhuang (CEO) 庄先生，Liu Yue 刘悦

 

A sincere thank you to Mr Zhuang of Golden Bee , a global sustainable art initiative , also to Liu Yue and ShiYan  and those further afield 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List of Participating Artists  

景育民 Jingyumin

王小杰 WangXiaojie

刘悦 Liuyue

郑靖 Zheng Jing 

张锰 Zhang Meng

艾娜。莱姆 Anna Laimu

张帆 Zhangfan

米卡。库恩

Niko de la Faye

周是麟 Zhoushilin

郑岱 Zheng Dai 

顾黎明 Gu Liming 

何杉 HeShan 

Niamh Cunningham  瑞莲

CROW 

吕智张 Lv ZhiZhang

王海南 Wang hai nan 

于扬 Yu Yang

韦冬 Wei Dong

Munkh Erdene

Michael St Amand 

李超 Li Chao 

Urlike Arnold 

Victor van Keuren 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Second Step- portraits have a Summer in Hou Hai

The Second Step is a collection of eighteen of my portraits showing at JoyBeans Space in Jiu Longtou Hutong .  I am delighted to have the portraits reach new audiences in this hutong space  near the lakes of Hou Hai.  

 

There are  portraits downstairs and upstairs. 

 

Thank you to those who came to our little gathering on Sunday June 6th  . A big thank you to curator Jacopo Della Ragione for putting it all together with panache and also to Will 陈宇威 one of the architects who runs the space. 

 

It was a great chance to meet old friends and meet new ones too. 

 

Special thanks to Ambassador Anne Derwin and her husband Joe for dropping by during their busy schedule, the Ambassador asked questions about every portrait!  

 

 

 

 

 

The coffee space is nearby the Prince Gong Mansions  and other interesting residences. It is nearby the area I used to train on the lakes and so I am also hoping my old buddies from Dragon Boat training will pop by .  

The work is showing until August 8th  .