Xie Ai Ge

Biography

Xie Aige Exhibition at the Doland Muesuem of Modern Art

Romance and freedom belong to our human nature, chasing them is like cultivating excellence. Pure heart has been changed by material. Xie Aige’s work is trying to illustrate the essence of human nature, getting off all the chains and getting back to the nature, to show the true colors of soul. Within the Chinese Sculpting community, which is a melting pot of many trends – classical, modern and port-modern - Xie Aige is a sculptor who deserves a special place,The sculptures of Xie Aige are very characteristic of her way of life, traditional and modern at the same time, while reflecting her Hunan Province roots, they are shaped in a kind of abstract mould that is yet very modernist.

Her creativity is limitless but encompasses mainly women, either sitting in a waiting posture or in faceless freeform groups or playing with a pet. These sculptures are centered on the Chinese women's condition – somewhat lost between the traditional Chinese culture and the modern requirements of today’s life.

Since her beginning, Xie Aige has evolved in the size and shapes of her sculptures but through her evolution, is always consistent with the message she wants to convey through her creations which is about the challenges Chinese women face in our modern world.

About Xie Aige

Xie Aige is living and sculpting in the busy and international city of Shanghai. She spends most of her time working in her studio gallery (district near the Suzhou Creek); when she is not teaching ceramic at Tongji University Art College. Coming from a small countryside village, nature has always been for Xie Aige an amazing source of inspiration for her work. She will always remain attached to her roots in Hunan, where she still have many relatives and friends living there.

Being a woman, Xie Aige likes to use in her sculptures women and cats all of them coming from her feeling, as she doesnt use model to pause for her. Cats are a real source of inspiration for her, mysterious, independent, elegant and feminine.

They are always represented in her sculptures climbing on a chair, or in the arm of a woman, where they seems to be more part of this real world than this dreaming lady, creating a subtle relationship with the other character.

As she says in her own words:
“I like making portraits, and I can spend hours working on them without feeling time passing. Those figures normally appear with rustic, plain and straightforward profiles.

I was born in a remote countryside village, and now living under the roof the metropolitan city of Shanghai. Due to my origin, I naturally cherish those simple, rustic and plain things. In my work I tend to take my countryside life experience as a background; the old times garments and fashion as form and media; and my understandings of urban culture and live as a foundation. My sculptures are always with a straightforward appearance, without any pretentious manner and any fancy decorations, they are just as authentic descriptions of the real life of normal common people.

The description itself is meaningless, but once its endowed with the form of life, then this description is no longer the matter of describing, but has become the body of art, the part of culture thus become meaningful. These are the feelings that put in my works such as The man playing chess. Music player and relaxing.

I like angel, and like to think of women as angels. Today angels are suffering so much from heavy pressures competition and violence of everyday life, making them losing their innocence and natural beauty.

As an artist and a woman, I really want to share through my work joys and pains, to reveal the true beauty of life. The work the tears of Angel is the portrait of my life, and my attitude towards life. I love my life, and enjoy so much working as a sculptor.

I enjoy capting transient moment and trivial things in life and transport them into my work. The characters appearing in my work are mostly portrayed in a state of total relaxation in total simplicity. They just behave themselves, with no artifice, make up, and designed postures. They seem to live in their own world, enjoying their own lives, without noticing the time passing and the world changing. It is a moment with no time dimension, space and environment.

Ceramic making is an integrated part of my life!

During the making process, I have gradually developed a sense of worship and respect towards this genuine material. Ceramic is a mix of rusticity and sophistication and it has nurtured my heart. When I am working with ceramic I put myself into a special mental state. It is a real way of living for me and a physical need. Meanwhile it is an art of communication between the hands, the soul and the Earth.

While working there is no hiding possible, they could be friends, enemies, and lovers, only if you are willing to share your joy and dismay with them. In front of them, you dont have to disguise yourself, and to pretend something, but just open your heart and communicate sincerely with those beautiful forms made from the earth. Ceramic has this duality and can just be the raw material of a plate containing foods, or can have an expression function, containing feelings, emotions, confessions and secrets”

Xie Aige, being one of the new generations of recognized Chinese artists she has been invited to expose in various local and international exhibitions.

Selected Exhibitions
2002 Shanghai spring art salon
2004 Chinese and Korean ceramic art exchange exhibition
2005 vision express-2005 Shanghai youth biennial exhibition, exhibition
2005 super brand mall autumn art show
2005 Shanghai international biennial urban sculpture exhibition
2006 Singapore Art Exhibition at Ode To Art
2007 DUOLUN Art Museum, Shanghai - Solo Exhibition, Duolun Art  Museum and Ode to Art