li jen shih
Mediums Used
Shih Li-Jen was born in Changhua County, Taiwan, 1955, a celebrated artist and curator in China and Taiwan. In 2004 and 2006, Mr. Shih won major awards of the “Art and Business Award” from the Council for Culture Affairs, Taiwan.
From 2003, expect for paintings, Mr. Shih started creating sculptures, but started to publish series of bronze art works until 2007, for example, “Naked Female”, “Leopard series”, “Flocks of Sparrow”, “The Formosan Mountain Dog”. Mr. Shih’s creation from “Rhino Family series” till “King Kong Rhino series”.
Recently, Mr. Shih with “King Kong Rhino” as his representative. “King Kong Rhino” was invited to be the annual theme sculpture in Shanghai Art Fair in 2011 and was collected by Kelti International Co. in Xinyi Distract, Taipei and now was placed in the headquarter plaza of Kelti International Co. It is a symbol of justice and power, a communication between the two sides of the culture. Also it has become a landmark of Taipei and can exchange with the world of the arts.
SHIH uses the contemporary language to reveal the ancient traditional subject. The shape of “King Kong Rhino” contains the rare thoughts of futurism and postmodernism, through the process of being manipulated, written and symbolized in three methods like “Metal Revit”, “Hard sided structure” and “ancient armor” to renew the unique style, think and affects towards nowadays issue and conservatively relate to the eastern thoughts of knowledge.
The culture of Rhino has become the main idea of Shih Li-Jen`s personal art career. Started from the realistic appearance of his creation. Afterwards the Rhino wear armor. It regarded as a symbolic processing. He has personified and geometric the Rhino. From nature, humanity to the mechanization of animal form, it is also a metaphor for the history of human evolution.
He sculpts the rhino horn as a thumb. The fingerprint of concentric circle symbolizes the life and growth in nature and eternal. It represents the nature of each individual and species, but also the reverence for life. The shape of the rhino horn is just a kind of outburst of breaking the shackles, marching toward the sky. It has been born a positive spirit and power.
In the Chinese culture, people once believe that rhino can resist floods, they raise rhinos. Even in the history of Chinese literature, rhino is one of the favorite theme for the literati, by example Li Shangyin`s verse: “For bodies no fluttering side by side of splendid phoenix wings, between hearts the one minute thread from root to tip of the magic horn.” It is proposed that the rhino is the most spiritual animal in China. SHIH Li-Jen’s rhino sculptures became the carriers which carry the rich and profound Chinese culture, in this way, his work recall the humanity and nature, we called “Harmony between man and nature”, messaging love and positive energy.
As one of the oldest species, the rhino continues up to now. It has witnessed the whole process of human history. Shih Li-Jen’s work close to nature, love life, combined with the essence of Chinese civilization and East-West culture of art. He creates many classic sculptures, through his artworks remind us to reflect on ourselves – when the buying stops, the killing can too. People is just solely take in the past. It is precisely learning how we give, and get along with nature and the earth. The rhino is not only an animal, but a symbol of personality in Shih Li-Jen’s creation. It is a deep concern of human nature for us, refers to the ultimate fate of human beings. Which makes the work deeply into everyone’s heart?
The Reappearing King Kong Rhino
– Consonance to Deity Rhino
Shih Li-Jen
Tracing back my memory, to the time of far remote, to whom I were, and I was thinking what did I tend to expect for my future when I was little?
The first scene I can recall was all about a Longyan tree.
There was a small place under a Longyan tree standing between the fields which were with one another. It was my favorite place. There were little recreation in those years, and what I loved to do was getting a table and a chair to there for sit, with papers and Chinese brushes to draw and paint aimlessly, or occasionally grabbed a lump of soil making figures. During the play my desire arose in my mind and I have known that there was a broader world awaiting me in the near future. I couldn’t help but think what were I going to be when I grew up…
The lump was being figured into shape between my hands, and I wanted to step into the world of art, and explore it extensively! I insisted and said to myself: I want to be an artist, and vow my lifetime wholeheartedly to contribute to the beauty of art.
After many years, I started my career as a gallerist, an art dealer, a private curator, and a director of art museum. There were so many important exhibitions I held for many well-known masters, and little by little, my name is given more and more attention for public. People knows who I am, but they don’t know how important art creation is to me and has always been taking a great part of my life, my hobby, and my daily life no matter where I go and what I intend to make effort. But since then, my works, rhino sculptures, appear one after another in Taipei, Taichung, and southern Taiwan, and even in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shandong in downtown areas. Everyone including children loves to gather around my rhinos and taking photos. Sometimes I have a fantasy that my rhinos are so vivid that as I am having a walk outside, and we meet on the street while my rhinos are strolling. Since then, I got a new lovely nickname: Rhino Papa, a rhino sculpture artist.
People often ask me, why do I love rhino so much? What an interested question! Rhinos have existed on earth for more than sixty million years, and they are one of the world`s most endangered animals nowadays. They are quite sci-fi that they mostly associate with monsters and beasts. In whimsical Hollywood blockbuster “Avatar”, they are featuring the embodiment of justice, the guardian of the natural ecology, and a symbol of the spirit of humanistic concern. The cultural relics, ancient books, bronze vessels, jade articles, old chinas and so forth which are stood for Chinese civilization ranging from each dynasty all defined their understanding for rhino: In an ancient book published in pre-Qin, The Classic of Mountains and Seas or Shan Hai Jing, a classic compilation of Chinese mythology involving detailed descriptions of god and deities, animals, plants, herbs, culture, geography and so forth, it documented in the chapter of Classic of Regions within the Seas,
“The Si-rhinoceros dwell east of Shun’s Tomb and south of the Xiang River. Their form resembles as ox that is blue-dark with a single horn.”
“Northwest of the Xingxing dwell Xi-rhinoceros. Their form resembles an ox that is black.”
The book clearly indicated the features of rhinos and the geographical location of where rhinos live. Therefore, it is believed that rhinos had existed in ancient China. The Classic of Mountains and Seas is more than a book of mythology, and a valuable reference for ancient geography and animals.
Ritual vessel (zen orgui) shaped rhinoceros – one of the noble Seven Liangshen Bronzes – was recorded a reward from emperor of Shang Dynasty for a hero who conquered tribes in western China – now collected oversea in Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. In Warring States Period, Li Bing and his son built an irrigational infrastructure called Dujiangyan and buried and placed five stone rhinos in five directions as a form of pentagram for cracking water spirits down and praying for a safe home for residence. In imperial dynasty of Tang, thousands of tribes flooded in to pay tributes, and a tribe called Lin Yi offered their local rhinos as tributes. Emperor Taizong built guardian stone rhinos and dedicated to imperial tomb of his father, Emperor Li Yuan. As above all, they offered rhinos misty and mysterious stories and those uncertain and vague deity characteristics strongly attracted me that made me seeking anything concerning about rhinos and follow their tracks whether now or past as if I am in love with it. Rhino is not merely an object for creation for me. It is as a path connecting history and ecology with one another, and the more I explore deeply, the clearer the mystery of creation is unfolded right in front of me.
The reason I choose rhino for creation is not only for its unique feature, but also it is a symbolic deity beast gathering composition of the universe for ecology, technology, culture and history. Or to make a long story short, rhino is a creature which is very loyally faithful, and when it is in love, it means forever wholehearted lasting an entire life.
Same as all the other artists, the way I create rhinos and express the point of view does not fall in at one time. The art works talk for what I had learnt and absorbed from life and experience, and represent my thought simultaneously of the year they were created. When it comes to rhino sculptures, most people immediately associates with the 888 centimeters tall sci-fi image, King Kong Rhino at Kelti Square Taipei. It tells that my works started from very graceful forms in my early stage, which is inspired by Henry Spencer Moore who was best known
Sculptures by li jen shih
Credentials
Exhibitions
yes
Publications
Mr. Rhino - SHIH Li-Jen, ISBN:978-957-8738-25-6,Mr. Rhino - SHIH Li-Jen, ISBN:978-957-8738-25-6
Shih Li-Jen was born in Changhua County, Taiwan, 1955, a celebrated artist and curator in China and Taiwan. In 2004 and 2006, Mr. Shih won major awards of the "Art and Business Award" from the Council for Culture Affairs, Taiwan.
From 2003, expect for paintings, Mr. Shih started creating sculptures, but started to publish series of bronze art works until 2007, for example, “Naked Female”, “Leopard series”, “Flocks of Sparrow”, “The Formosan Mountain Dog”. Mr. Shih’s creation from “Rhino Family series” till “King Kong Rhino series”.
Recently, Mr. Shih with “King Kong Rhino” as his representative. “King Kong Rhino” was invited to be the annual theme sculpture in Shanghai Art Fair in 2011 and was collected by Kelti International Co. in Xinyi Distract, Taipei and now was placed in the headquarter plaza of Kelti International Co. It is a symbol of justice and power, a communication between the two sides of the culture. Also it has become a landmark of Taipei and can exchange with the world of the arts.
SHIH uses the contemporary language to reveal the ancient traditional subject. The shape of “King Kong Rhino” contains the rare thoughts of futurism and postmodernism, through the process of being manipulated, written and symbolized in three methods like “Metal Revit”, “Hard sided structure” and “ancient armor” to renew the unique style, think and affects towards nowadays issue and conservatively relate to the eastern thoughts of knowledge.
The culture of Rhino has become the main idea of Shih Li-Jen`s personal art career. Started from the realistic appearance of his creation. Afterwards the Rhino wear armor. It regarded as a symbolic processing. He has personified and geometric the Rhino. From nature, humanity to the mechanization of animal form, it is also a metaphor for the history of human evolution.
He sculpts the rhino horn as a thumb. The fingerprint of concentric circle symbolizes the life and growth in nature and eternal. It represents the nature of each individual and species, but also the reverence for life. The shape of the rhino horn is just a kind of outburst of breaking the shackles, marching toward the sky. It has been born a positive spirit and power.
In the Chinese culture, people once believe that rhino can resist floods, they raise rhinos. Even in the history of Chinese literature, rhino is one of the favorite theme for the literati, by example Li Shangyin`s verse: “For bodies no fluttering side by side of splendid phoenix wings, between hearts the one minute thread from root to tip of the magic horn.” It is proposed that the rhino is the most spiritual animal in China. SHIH Li-Jen’s rhino sculptures became the carriers which carry the rich and profound Chinese culture, in this way, his work recall the humanity and nature, we called “Harmony between man and nature”, messaging love and positive energy.
As one of the oldest species, the rhino continues up to now. It has witnessed the whole process of human history. Shih Li-Jen’s work close to nature, love life, combined with the essence of Chinese civilization and East-West culture of art. He creates many classic sculptures, through his artworks remind us to reflect on ourselves - when the buying stops, the killing can too. People is just solely take in the past. It is precisely learning how we give, and get along with nature and the earth. The rhino is not only an animal, but a symbol of personality in Shih Li-Jen’s creation. It is a deep concern of human nature for us, refers to the ultimate fate of human beings. Which makes the work deeply into everyone’s heart?
Insight from the Beast; Remodeling Home Better Home
Evaluating the Creativity of Rhino of Shih Li-Jen
Kao Lin
It seems that everyone has heard of rhino, or so called unicorn, but few people really know what it is. This animal does not look as ingenuous as panda, or as speedy as horse, and not even as giant as elephant. The true is, it is still one of the most ancient animals which was recorded in the oldest oriental mythology and legend, and had been worshipped as a deity beast, for its bony horn that grows from the top of its head that was saying it has psychic power and considered as one of very precious traditional Asian medicine. The skin is so thick that hardly harm by weapons that had been considered the best armor in the age of cold weapon.
The image of this ancient animal could usually be found among ancient bronze vessels and stone reliefs, but now only you have to visit some of a few zoos to have a chance for a glimpse. They have been escaping far away from where human beings inhabited and they are critically endangered so that young people are even assuming if they are still exist on earth or not.
The remote, hazy, and vague perceptions for rhino has been greatly changed recently for his efforts of a Taiwanese artist. The vigorously heavy metal rhinos appeared in squares and parks and other public spaces in Shanghai, Shandong and Taiwan, and attract the crowd stopping by and gathering around them. The crowds are surprised how those giants involved in their bustling cities or leisure parks and increased an natural ancient atmosphere. Their curiosity are more awake and suddenly encourage them to rediscover this ancient animal that toward our daily life starts to connect with unfamiliar history and nature. To a certain extent that rhinos are all the rage in Taiwan and China by the works that this Taiwanese artist has created.
He, Shih Li-Jen, a art curator and the founder of Modern Art Gallery in Taiwan, is now related his name with artist and sculptor. In his sixties, he is a reputable artist who has broadened his horizon into the world of art and a exploration for public art with his beloved rhino family. His brand new identity and role are reflected and transformed for his career involved with art when he is in the age that words are fully attuned
In the period that multi-culture blend and collide altogether has offered each of us various examples of life and visual experiences, and a variety of glorious images is flashing around our subconscious that we all have too much thought to describe immediately. As the limits of knowledge and professional skill, however, only few is capable of carrying out their image of inner desire into real objects. From the knowledge and skills he has acquainted, the dream in his childhood, and the visual experiences while working as a curator for art promotion, he has produced a large number of significant rhino works. More than his lucky, it is the experience he has accumulated and the strength he has persisted. Listen to the heart and being oneself; offering service for artists and now to serving for oneself; extend one`s dream of childhood along with the trace back to the origin of one`s life after growing old, which are a transition, and more like a accomplishment.
That it is, the child who was making things from mud under a longyan tree in a country yard has activated industrial design skills that he had learned from school to make sculptures for the world. He wants to make a spirit of all things on earth, the most precious one of all kinds, a living being with blessing for human beings, and a species owns great value for existence individually and symbolized of history and culture. Therefore, there is an animal showing up from the ocean of history and culture with a spiked horn on the head, quite chubby, walking confidently and easy right toward him. While the moment they meet in a intersection, they fall in love and understand each other immediately and here a new visual image of art has accomplished.
From his point of view, the reason that chose rhino for creation is not only for it has been living on earth for thousands of years, for the uncertainty of those myths, legends, and depicting swirling around it, and for is a profoundly universal combination as a symbol, which evoked all his curiosity and the desire for creating a new vision of contemporary style - the vaguer the image, the more innovative the creation is! We immediately aware of his capabilities for transforming on visual image - the series of King Kong Rhino, casting bronze a primitive image of ancient Shang and Zhou with contemporary minimal scientific techniques and conquering the short naturalism of initial representational figure, display in front of us with minimal, hard-edged, industrial image that perfectly interpreted the ancient one into the concept of contemporary. He had named his own museum in Beijing "Found Museum" representing the idea that integrating the classical with modern, and FOUND the classic more classical. This is a place where Shih invites many outstanding artists to visit and display with their works across from where history and tradition correspondent with each other, and beyond outstanding, he made himself explored and transformed a new image for rhino which upright the head and the horn toward strength and future.
These images of prehistoric animals had been consisted into initial objects for art and soon afterwards were they patterned, abstracted, and symbolized into a basic expression of arts and crafts. Franz Boas, a reputable anthropologist, folklorist, and a pioneer of American geography, documented a view concerning about a close relationship between the local artistic patterns and symbols with zoomorphi
Taiwan Review, The Art of Rhino Conservation
Shanghai Jin’An Park, Shanghai, China
Barwell Art Fund, China
Kelti International Co., Ltd, Taipei, Taiwan
Chung Yuet Group Guild Hall, Taiwan
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Yun-mei Art Fund, Taiwan
Institution of Yu Jie, Taiwan
Chin Kun Science and Technology Co., Ltd.
Found Museum, Beijing, China
WEGO Group, Shandong, China
Chroma Xintiandi, Taoyuan, Taiwan