Beijing, on the Morning October 25th, the donation ceremony for the print Wooden Moon donated by the internationally acclaimed American artist Kiki Smith to the CAFA Art Museum, was held in the Auditorium of CAFA. Fan Di’an, President of CAFA, Chairman of China Artists Association and Chairman of Beijing Artists Association, Qiu Zhijie, Vice President of CAFA, Zhang Zikang, Director of CAFA Art Museum, Gao Gao, Deputy Director of CAFA Art Museum, Yang Hongwei, Deputy Director of Printmaking Department of CAFA, and Li Yaochen, Director of the Collection Department of CAFA Art Museum attended the ceremony. Artist Kiki Smith, Tomas Vu, Director of LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies in the School of the Arts at Columbia University, and Xinyi Liu (online), curator of “A Journey Through Printmaking: International Printmaking Art Exhibition”; Wang Chunchen, Deputy Director of CAFA Art Museum, presided over the ceremony.
From the left: Zhang Zikang, Director of CAFA Art Museum, Fan Di’an, President of CAFA, Chairman of China Artists Association and Chairman of Beijing Artists Association, and Qiu Zhijie, Vice President of CAFA
In his speech, Qiu Zhijie, Vice President of CAFA, spoke highly of Ms. Smith’s artistic achievements from academic and individual perspectives. He expressed that, being the most prestigious institution of higher art education with the longest history in China, CAFA and CAFAM were deeply honored and grateful to Ms. Smith for her donation. Her work explores the humanistic concern for the body and civilization, individuals and memories, which bridges mutual exchange, mutual learning and understanding between the peoples of China and the United States.
Wooden Moon, wood engraving, 243.8×365.8 cm, 2021
Wooden Moon was exhibited at “A Journey Through Printmaking: International Printmaking Art Exhibition” (2021.10.20-11.13, CAFA Art Museum).
Kiki Smith stated that her work exhibited at the CAFA Art Museum was a gift for her. For an artist, especially a printmaker, there was nothing more exciting and fascinating than interacting with other artists. She praised the printmaking education at CAFA, as CAFA did not only preserve the great artistic tradition, but it also pushes the frontier forward and promotes development and evolution. Wooden Moon represents the image of the moon that she loves and has kept creating for over 30 years, and the moon connects us when people look up at the starry sky.
Tomas Vu, Director of LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies at Columbia University, addressed the ceremony.
Tomas Vu, Director of LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies at Columbia University, expressed his thanks that CAFA has conducted a collaboration with Columbia University, which helped to bring about “A Journey Through Printmaking: International Printmaking Art Exhibition” at CAFA Art Museum in October 2021, and it ultimately led to the donation. He trusted that this would usher in richer collaborations between CAFA and Columbia University, and among artists in the future.
Yang Hongwei, Deputy Director of the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, delivered a speech.
Yang Hongwei, Deputy Director of the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, who also served as the curator of “A Journey Through Printmaking: International Printmaking Art Exhibition”, appreciated the strong supports for the exhibition from both Columbia University and CAFA. Speaking of Smith’s Wooden Moon, he introduced woodblock printmaking as a very traditional art with a long history in China, and it is well practiced and integrated with Western concepts. During the creative process, Smith had conducted a lot of exchanges and discussions with Yang Hongwei and his student team. It can be regarded as a practical representation of the integration of Chinese and Western expressive languages in art.
Poster of “A Journey Through Printmaking: International Printmaking Art Exhibition
Xinyi Liu, another curator of of “A Journey Through Printmaking: International Printmaking Art Exhibition”, introduced the difficulties encountered in the donation process of Wooden Moon, which was Kiki’s largest print to date, in addition to the complexity of the entire production process, there were also various challenges of transportation between China and the United States during the pandemic, the success of its display and donation was inseparable from the patience, friendliness and close cooperation with the artist, Columbia University, CAFA and CAFA Art Museum.
President Fan Di’an signed on the donation certificate.
Director Zhang Zikang issued the donation certificate.
After the speeches by honored guests, Fan Di’an, President of CAFA, Chairman of China Artists Association and Chairman of Beijing Artists Association, signed the donation certificate, and Zhang Zikang, Director of CAFA Art Museum, presented Ms. Smith with a donation certificate.
Group Photo of Offline and Online Guests
At the end of the ceremony, President Fan Di’an said that he was very pleased to participate in the donation ceremony, and felt very cordial when meeting Kiki Smith on the screen. All the speeches of honored guests expressed our special gratitude to Kiki Smith and welcomed her to visit China in the future to give lectures and communicate with CAFA. From Ms. Smith’s speech, we were affected by her concern and pure love for the great themes of human destiny, man and the world. On behalf of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, President Fan Di’an especially supports the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies at Columbia University to carry out more academic exchanges in the future, and also on behalf of the China Artists Association, he welcomes Ms. Smith to come to China in the future, and CAFA colleagues, especially Director Zhang Zikang, are willing to make unremitting efforts for a future solo exhibition themed on Kiki Smith’s work.
Text (CN) edited by Luo Yifei, (EN) edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO
Courtesy of the Organizer.
About Kiki Smith
Kiki Smith has been known since the 1980s for her multidisciplinary work that explores embodiment and the natural world. She uses a broad variety of materials to continuously expand and evolve a body of work that includes sculpture, printmaking, photography, drawing, and textiles.
Smith has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions worldwide including over 25 museum exhibitions. Her work has been featured at five Venice Biennales, including the 2017 edition. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2017 was awarded the title of Honorary Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts, London. Previously, Smith was recognized in 2006 by TIME Magazine as one of the “TIME 100: The People Who Shape Our World.” Other awards include the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture in 2000; the 2009 Edward MacDowell Medal; the 2010 Nelson A. Rockefeller Award, Purchase College School of the Arts; the 2013 U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts, conferred by Hillary Clinton; and the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center, among others. She is an adjunct professor at NYU and Columbia University.
Introduction Courtesy Pace Gallery.
