LU Shengzhong (???) (Born 1952)

Born in 1952 in Shandong, Lu ShengZhong grew up during the turbulent years of the Cultural Revolution. He joined the army and tried various jobs before deciding to devote himself fully to art. He then studied at Shandong Normal University and Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. For his first major exhibition held at China's National Art Gallery in Beijing, Lu ShengZhong transformed the entire gallery into a temple filled with brilliant panoply of cut-out paper forms, which have become his major means of _expression henceforth.

The traditional technique of paper cutting, used extensively in the folk art of China, opened the way for Lu ShengZhong to give striking formal _expression to ideas of a philosophical and religious nature. In his hands, the amazingly intricate cut paper shapes are assembled to establish elaborate installations as well as a series of wall-hangings that engage opposing forms in a lively dialogue. "As I cut paper with my scissors and separate the shapes that result from my activity, I am making a statement against the separation of body and soul in contemporary thought. Summoning the detached forms of the souls so that they can be reunited with their bodies, the process echoes the juxtaposition of positive and negative forms or the perfect coexistence of the curves of Yin and Yang." Said Lu ShengZhong, in explaining his magnum opus, Calling Soul.

Credit:

Lu Shengzhong: First Encounter

http://www.chambersfineart.com/en/catalogue/cata-12-firstenco.html