Published to accompany the major retrospective exhibition on Hung Liu, Summoning Ghosts is a comprehensive look at the work of this extraordinary Chinese-American artist. A pioneer in Chinese contemporary art before the Chinese avant-garde came into being, Lui’s life spanned two centuries and bridged two totally different economic situations. The wide-ranging essays in this book, which features 140 color illustrations, reflect on how Hung Liu’s evocative art is inextricably bound to her equally rich and complex life. While considering the artist’s primary work as a painter, the contributors also celebrate her murals, permanent and temporary installations, photography, and video.
Summoning Ghosts The Art of Hung Liu
About the Book
Reviews
“A poignant beauty abounds. . . . And though Liu is a wonderful portraitist and a creative producer of installation art, her great ability to open a window on the fight to survive with dignity is one of her greatest strengths. . . . This fine sampling is both informative and moving.”—Publishers Weekly
“To trace [Hung Liu’s] development is to see an evolving byplay between complexity of purpose and complexity of execution. When they come into the right balance . . . they are really something to see.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Lui’s work melds the large scale and strict technique of socialist realist propaganda with the drippy freedom of abstract expressionism, often employing historical photos (radical in a place like China, intent on obliterating its past).”—San Francisco Magazine
“Liu illustrates her take on personal and cultural history, crafting visually stunning narratives that unite past and present.”—San Jose Mercury News
"Serious art . . . Ms. Liu may now live in California, but all China is here, in the hands of a true master of her brush and her culture."—Wall Street Journal
"A catalog focused on an extraordinary artist and the interconnectedness of her art and life."—Journal of American Studies
"These essays are important contributions to scholarship on this artist."—Women's Art Journal“Hung Liu’s life experience, complex personal history, understanding of female identity, sensitivity to immigrant culture, and vigorous powers of expression have made her a one-of-a-kind artist.”—Ai Weiwei