Tanks, atomic bombs, rubble from a collapsed building, items more at home in a war zone take centerplace in the minds of children in this series. Illustrations of childhood memories depict surreal and barren playgrounds fraught with dark and twisted themes. At question is the innocence of childhood memories – are they truly oases of innocence and charm safeguarded from violence and horror? Laden with lyrical symbolism, Liu Xiufang’s elliptical frames where land and sea meet on a horizon, trace back to a traditional Chinese aesthetic, but renewed with a tenderness that is both contemporary and ethereal. If ignorance is bliss, is it then fine to remain under the spell of serene delusion?
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About the Artist
Liu Xiaofang (b. 1980, China) is a graduate of the Department of Photography, Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Liu creates photographs that draws upon her memories of childhood and poetic contemplation of the world around her. In 2010, she was among the select few to be named Most Promising Contemporary Photographers by Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne, Switzerland; and participated in the travelling exhibition reGeneration2: Tomorrow’s Photographers Today. Liu has exhibited in group shows worldwide including China, Japan and Switzerland.