Asia Art Center will present a solo exhibition by the late Taiwanese sculpture master JU Ming (1938-2023) at Art Basel Hong Kong 2024. With the theme “Philosophy of Human and Nature,” the exhibition blends elements of nature, spiritual world and human existence. We will showcase the stone sculptures from “Tai Chi Series – Tai Chi Arch” and copper sculptures from “Tai Chi Series.” Ju Ming, a highly esteemed contemporary artist in the Chinese-speaking world, had previously held three solo exhibitions at Asia Art Center (Taipei), including ‘Living world’ in 2022, ‘Tai Chi Arch’ in 2023, and ‘White · Living World’ in 2024. Additionally, a large-scale solo exhibition is scheduled to take place at Asia Art Center (Beijing) in June of this year.

Ju transformed the “patterns” and “inner spirit” of Tai Chi into elements of artistic creation in the mid-1970s. “Taichi Series” initially began with simplified movements, but gradually his hands no longer followed the “form” and instead moved with spontaneity. Ju’s understanding of Tai Chi allowed him to achieve a dynamic balance where form and spirit coexist, breathing life and vitality into his sculptures. Ju’s creations not only showcase artistic achievements but also reflect his introspective cultivation. In his art, he harmonizes the inner spirit of humanity with the external material, expressing a natural view imbued with Eastern temperament. The artist’s emphasis on the integration of art and life underscores the belief that life itself is the entirety of artistic existence. Rooted in nature and driven by constant innovation, his works encapsulate both traditional and modern elements, deserving of high recognition.

“In previous works, a distance is always there between two figures practicing Pushing Hands. In this one, I allow two hands to hold together. Once the connection is formed, the flow of Qi and the nuanced bond of muscles naturally complete each other. Everything becomes one and turns into the shape of an arch.” – Ju Ming

In 2000, Ju created “Taichi Series–Taichi Arch,” a collection of pieces deemed to be the grand finale that brings his “Taichi Series” to perfection. Named after a simple “arch” shape, it aims to capture something yet more profound—the quintessential quality of “not releasing and resisting directly” in a double Taichi practice—and to translate it artistically into a form of extreme abstraction. The lively interplay of void and substantiality, the fusion of firm yet tender contours, the delicate alternation of coarse and fine geometric surfaces, along with the symmetrical yet imperfectly balanced plasticity, all converge to create a space that exudes a captivating sense of both weightiness and airiness. The series began with the use of copper, and then, along the journey, the artist adopted stone as the material of choice, which was first shown to the public in his solo exhibition at Asia Art Center (Taipei) in 2023. The characteristics and the irreversible nature of stone’s materiality magnify the unrefined authenticity of Ju Ming’s sculptural language. Every carving mark, every intricate area found on these stone sculptures, stands as a testament to the artist’s unparalleled mastery of sculpture.

Stressing that “art is an arduous spiritual practice,” Ju believes artistic practice must be deeply rooted in everyday life, and the everyday constitutes the sum of artistic life. Ju’s sculptures, brought into being by the artist who has endured unimaginable hardship in such a mental state, is certainly an artistic creation as well as a manifestation of a spiritual journey. The timeless presence of stone, further, enriches the harmony of emptiness and substance and the flow of movement and stillness with a fascinating sense of serene grandeur.