The catalogue documents the stories of twenty-two artists from the Wuming, Xingxing, and Caocao art groups presented in the Light Before Dawn: Unofficial Chinese Art 1974–1985 exhibition at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. Emerging from the Cultural Revolution, these groups of artists sought artistic truth in the authenticity of human desire, explored the personal meaning of creativity, and asserted the value of the individual in the critical period leading up to the Communist Party's decision to allow modern artistic practices in 1985. Written by the curators, Dr. Kuiyi Shen and Dr. Julia F. Andrews, the catalogue also includes short articles by artists from each group.

Light Before Dawn: Unofficial Chinese Art 1974–1985

Arts & Photography

Shen, Kuiyi

Andrews, Julia

History & Criticism

Asia Society Hong Kong Center

<p>Yoshitomo Nara is recognized as one of the most influential artists of the day. His works are very accessible, so much so that at times we do not look hard enough because we feel we understand them already. But how much do we really know about his angry, yet cute looking little girls? How is it that we all feel we recognize the emotions being portrayed? What makes his art so relevant to such a wide range of viewers? Following from Asia Society Hong Kong Center’s preceding exhibition, Life is Only One Yoshitomo Nara, this publication is not only a compilation of the works in the exhibition, but also an extension with the inclusion of other works and essays that present the artist and his art from his life experiences and memories. Extra thoughts into his inspirations are offered by looking at his childhood, his time in Germany, his love for music, and the aftermath of the 2011 Earthquake. Like small pieces of a puzzle, they piece together little-known stories about the artist and above all his thoughts on life.</p>

Once in a Life: Encounters with Nara

Shahzia Sikander (1969–, Pakistan) is an artist based in the United States who employs a multitude of media, notably miniature paintings. Her first solo exhibition in Hong Kong was installed within the Former Explosives Magazine Compound of Asia Society Hong Kong Center’s permanent home. The catalogue includes a text by Brandon as well as contributions by Nick Robins, author of The Corporation that Changed the World How the East India Company Shaped the Modern Multinational (Pluto Press, 2012); art historian John Seyller, a specialist in miniature painting and author of Pahari Paintings in the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art (Hyderabad, 2014); Ayad Akhtar, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his play Disgraced (2012); Ashey Nga-sai Wu, assistant curator at Asia Society Hong Kong Center; and Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director at London’s Serpentine Galleries and author of Ways of Curating (Farber & Farber, 2014). It also includes an artist statement by Sikander in which she reflects upon her practice since the late 1980s.

Shahzia Sikander: Apparatus of Power

Individual Artists

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Books by Asia Society Hong Kong Center

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Asia Society Hong Kong Center publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Light Before Dawn: Unofficial Chinese Art 1974–1985

Once in a Life: Encounters with Nara

Shahzia Sikander: Apparatus of Power