Only as an aesthetic phenomenon can the world be justified
Since the beginning of time, humanity has recorded its existence in some sort of artistic form. These expressions have been the source of much that we know of how we perceive and experience our existence. From the sacrificial wonders of Montezuma, the exquisite and opulence of the Egyptians, the endless legacy of the Greeks, the splendor of the Roman Empire, to the massacre of Guernica, it is an endless journey where artists from all the corners of the world have joined to create this unique and incredible phenomenon that we have known as Art.
We intend to present our story in ways that have not always been part of the mainstream narrative and the “official version”. Nevertheless, there is another less visible side of the story often restricted to areas in the world where people are censored, oppressed, and often afraid to speak their minds, like the countryside and artists villages in China, where the common people have hardly any access to express their views and sentiments. They deserve a better and more dignified way to express themselves, their story and talent.
Our Gallery is open to the past, present and future forms of expressions that reflect the ideas of all artists, not the least the ones rooted in the counter movements that have challenged the status quo, not as antithesis to the equation of life, but as a hypothesis for a better future of a classless, more just and fairer society.
A space where the seemingly voiceless will turn their suffering into virtues like composers seek through their sorrow an unheard composition, as an artist yearning for a higher degree of understanding among us.
Non-Profit
AK ART ASIA devotes 100% of its profits to the support, finance and promotion of Education and Arts of children in China. We are absolutely committed to make use of our funds and assets not as an objective but as means to assist young lives.
Our aim is the emancipation of these children to a standard where they will free themselves from the condemnation of misery and ignorance imposed by centuries of exploitation, often in subhuman conditions.
We will assist, inform and educate children whenever it is possible so they can claim the reign of their own destinies, to seek knowledge not as way to conquer other people but to triumph over themselves and become free individuals. Our funds are spent in the following ways: 80% on educational projects and 20% to cultural and artistic activities. In some extreme cases, we will also assist on medical needs.
We do not rely on donations, as we believe this to be another concept that perpetuates the endemic poverty across nations. We want to work side by side as equals, as citizens of the world, trying to offer some sort of assistance. More importantly, we want to empower these children, to give them the self-confidence to face the extreme challenges that they face in a country like China. We want to work with the locals, and at the same time to learn and share with them their valuable experiences and together seek a better future for all of these amazing young lives.
The Sun meets the Moon
The implausible encounter that has plagued the Middle Kingdom, for the past 300 years is still a dilemma right in the center of modern Chinese Culture.
It is a well-known fact, that all Chinese historically keep to their hearts, with deep suspicious of all outsiders highlighted by the words of Confucius to describe foreigners as; The White Devils.
So, the Middle Kingdom has kept its doors well shut for some good 5000 years. It only allowed other influences to enter when it had no other alternative due to wars or economic pressures, never by choice.
Contemporary Chinese art was forged in the height of Maoism, with its obsession with political ideology and Western models that in many ways tried to obscure the very roots of Chinese culture that had its three main pillars forged in Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.
Sadly, modern China still lives and breathes by these rigid principles where self-expression is simply not permitted.
In the past 30 years, there were a wave of Cultural Revolution modern/pop art oils that flooded the West, fetching millions of dollars in the auction houses, but just like the new China, it had little to do with Chinese culture. Local people would not claim as their own and describe them as: art made in China for the West, to make money and please the foreigner’s eyes.
In today’s modern China, art has been struggling to find an original way to express and capture the essence of their traditions. Most look outside to the West, in what is a known local phenomenon – 崇洋媚外 -chong yang mei wai – the adoration of foreigners values. This issue has impacted, and some may say destroyed modern Chinese culture for a generation. Still, many understand the flaws in this new approach and are seeking ways to recapture all the beauty and wisdom from this ancient civilization. One example is the enduring worship of Mother Nature that was and still is in the very essence of the Chinese ethos and culture.
So, as ever through the history of time, the Sun will have to keep admiring the Moon from a distance. The Chinese believe that despite all its natural might, intense radiance, and endless energy, they will always be faithful to the soft light and gentleness of the one they feel closer to their hearts, The Moon.
We’re partnered with ArtsHaus – a platform to help you find quality, affordable art from independent galleries and dealers throughout the UK
