LIU XUAN QI 刘轩齐

Liu Xuan Qi’s artwork mainly depicts the mystic icon of the oriental stone lion and a cloud. The lion represents ones identity and the cloud represents the ever-changing times of modernity. Explaining that during these progressing times, individuals should stay true to themselves. His artwork style merges the east and west, majorly inspired by his graphic design background which explores contemporary icons and design.

In 2012, Liu Xuan Qi was awarded the platinum award at the UOB painting of the year competition. In 2021, Liu Xuan Qi’s paintings were exhibited at the UOB art gallery in Shanghai China as part of the exhibition titled “The Future is Now”.

小花的世界 A world of flowers

Life & Art - Stories from 2 Artists
03/06/22 - 18/06/22

Artworks

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In this work, the artist constructs a symbolically charged exclamation mark using traditional East Asian scholar’s tools. The cinnabar ink paste and seal form a vivid red counterpart, symbolizing sincerity, tradition, and the warm, enduring strength of cultural continuity. When inverted, the exclamation mark transforms into a lowercase “i”—a potent symbol of identity. It is an inward reflection; from “Who am I becoming?” to the deeper inquiry, “Who am I, truly?”

画⾯中，艺术家以传统⽂房器物构建出⼀个富有象征意义的“感叹号”。其鲜明的红⾊寓意诚意、传统，以及⽂化延续中那份温暖⽽真实的精神⼒量。当这⼀“感叹号”被倒置，它又转化为⼀个⼩写的“i”——⼀个关于“⾃我”（identity）的隐喻性符号。它是对内在⾝份的深层追问；从“我正在成为谁”的流动状态，⾛向“我究竟是谁”的本质叩问。

静守云天 #1 and 静守云天 #2 are both part of Liu Xuan Qi’s “Wandering Cloud” series, which captures the tension and harmony between heritage and modernity. The southern lion, a familiar figure in Singapore’s cultural landscape, gazes skyward upon a drifting cloud—a quiet yet symbolic exchange between rooted tradition and inevitable transformation. The repeating geometric circular pattern beneath the lion is known as the “Flower of Life” motif and is a common decorative element in Peranakan ceramic tiles. The pattern anchors the piece in local tradition while adding a distinctly Nanyang aesthetic that symbolises Singapore’s rich multicultural society. Liu’s integration of these elements reflects his ongoing reflection of where heritage stand in an ever-changing society.

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Biography

Born 1977

Background
1996 School of Art and Design in Shanghai
2006 Migrated to Singapore
2012 Platinum Award, UOB Painting of the Year

Selected Solo Exhibitions
2017 The Art of Leo, UOB Art Gallery, Singapore
Empty Valley Hermit, Art Seasons Gallery, Singapore
2012 Beautiful Life, Galerie Belvedere Singapore, Singapore
2011 Floating Clouds, Dahlia Gallery, Singapore
2010 Equilibrium, Forest Rain Gallery, Singapore

Selected Group Exhibitions
2017 International Print Exhibition, France
Commemorating NS50, Singapore
ArtStage, Art Seasons Gallery, Singapore
2016 Taipei Art Fair, Art Seasons Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
Malaysia Art Fair, Malaysia
2015 Daegu Art Fair, South Korea
“Portable Art Week”, iPRECIATION Gallery, Singapore
2012 Asia Top Gallery Hotel Art Fair, Hong Kong
2011 Taipei Contemporary Hotel Art Fair, Taiwan

Liu Xuan Qi is a contemporary artist currently residing in Singapore. A graduate in art & design from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (the former Shanghai Publishing and Printing College), Liu left his decade-long career as art director in the field of design and advertising to pursue art full-time. With his background as a graphic designer, he explores elements from traditional Chinese ink paintings, icons and imagery from eastern cultures and fuses them with contemporary design, merging the east and west.

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