Week 7 Bruiser in Blue
Category Archives: Art Work
Week 6 Cameo
Week 5 Scintillator
Week 4 Twin Dance
Week 3 Cafe Praha . C.C.
Week 2 – Princess of Daxing
This weeks portrait refers to an older series of portraits of young Chinese learners. Several years ago I did a Summer workshop in a school in the southern outskirts of the city (Daxing) This little girl I still remember as looking very regal with her hair pinned up high. Continue reading
‘Bright Stick Trapped’ and other discoveries
After looking carefully at some high res images I believe that crystalisation is not necessarily pushing the ink, the ink in some cases is pushing the sugar , at least in the early stages of the sucrose series
2018.03.21 Niamh Cunningham ‘Bright Stick Trapped’ sucrose mixed media, 40 cm diam
The final exhibition for the project On Paper. Supreme 2018 has arrived in Songzhuang at the Guangju Museum of Art in the Beijing Creative Centre (see last post). It is a good time to review the changes in crystalisation for the Sucrose artworks in this project which have occurred at different rates for different layers of media.
This process related art series documents the most interesting stages so collectors can have the photographic work of two or three stages to accompany the original artwork.
Let’s begin with Bright Stick Trapped … many of the titles of work here come from one of my favourite nature poets Patrick Kavanagh from his poem Canal Bank Walk. (Seamus Heaney also loved Kavanagh for his nature poetry)
This work had minimal crystalistation , even though interesting things are happening with the ink layer, certain colours are lifted out of the original blur with patches of greens and browns more easily defined after all these months.
But even more exciting things are happening….
The Sucrose Series- crystalisation continues to push Ink to new places.
I have been documenting the progress of the sucrose crystals in my work for a considerable time. This blog will take a look at some of the changes occurring in certain works recently exhibited at China Europe Contemporary Art Global Tour Shanghai curated by Ma Yiying and Longjingli.
Niamh Cunningham: (Photo 2018-03-21) Hui Yuan, Birds Nest, sucrose and mixed media, 20 cm diam
The crystallisation process has slowed down considerably over the past 10 months but it is still possible to see its traces as it pushes the ink within the mixed media. The ink which has been shifted by this process comes from two sources. Some of the interventions I make with this work involve ‘lifting off’ the surface ink and also I have added Chinese water colour ink to the mixed media of sugar and other secret ingredients. Continue reading
On the Bund, the China–Europe Global Tour
The view from The House of Roosevelt, 27 the Bund where China – Europe International Contemporary Art Global Tour.Shanghai was launched.
The opening ceremony was a grand elegant affair attracting support and endorsements from a range of cultural entities. The reception was hosted by Yu Tinting, founder of Qiyi culture. Speeches were delivered by Victor King founder of Global Investor Hub, Li Jiashan, Executive Vice President of National Institute of Cultural Development, Mr POLO (chairman) and Mr. Ignasi Guardans i Cambo (a former MEP) and curators Ma Yiying and Longjing Li .
Catalogues evoke great memories of a residency in Zhangjiajie, a look at where some of the artworks are now.
The catalogues arrived. As I opened them the memories flooded back. In Nov 2014 the second session of the residency (International Oil Painting Camp) took place in Hunan .
The catalogues covered the work done at the camp, activities and artist profiles, they are beautifully produced thanks to the editors Wu Shixiong, and Kongyan. The programme takes place every two years, bringing International and Chinese artists together in the Pullman hotel. We had to complete three artworks in the allotted time. Some of the two weeks was spent exploring nearby scenic towns and villages including the nearby Wuling National Park. 
Some of the artworks on this page have since found themselves in different collections .