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Effective January 1: Masks are Optional in VisArts’ Classrooms and Studios
Inner freedom and the constraints of survival have always existed in our lives.
I placed the spark of my thoughts on the strong black and white—let it fall freely on the jumping black and dancing brushstrokes. The soft, graceful shapes with their charming and bright colors are my constraints and compromise to survival.
This strong contrast is a true reflection of my thoughts in recent years, shaped by time, energy, and emotion.
I kept switching between confrontation and compromise, intensity and tenderness, black, white, and color—feeling conflicted and entangled, joyful and distressed, appreciating all the differences and trying to find a combination and unity between them.
This is the normal. Such is life.
VisArts Associate Artist Xiaosheng Bi was raised in the countryside near Xi’an, China, an area that served as China’s ancient capital for centuries and is rich in traditional Chinese art and culture. After studying graphic design, Bi worked at the Xi’an Craft Art Research Institute, where he traveled throughout China to study and document classical and folk art. In 1989, he was admitted to the Ceramic Art Department within the College of Art at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees before teaching ceramics there for eight years.
In 1997, Bi immigrated to the United States and soon established himself as a ceramist and teacher in Chicago. In 2004, he moved to the Washington, D.C. area and now lives in Derwood, Maryland, with his wife and young daughter, teaching at Montgomery College and VisArts.
Bi’s work reflects his traditional Chinese influences yet is infused with a contemporary aesthetic. Suffused with gentle colors, his delicate forms shine with the brilliant translucency of bone china porcelain. Traditional Chinese motifs—such as bamboo leaves or lotus blossoms—are painted with dynamic, nearly abstract strokes. Through his life and work, Bi has formed a bridge between the introspective sensibilities of Chinese culture and the dynamism of modern Western culture.
OPENING CELEBRATION: FRIDAY, MAY 30 | 7-9 PM Enjoy new exhibitions, music, drinks, eats, and more! RSVP
CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP: SUNDAYS, JUNE 8-15 | 1-3 PM Learn traditional Chinese calligraphy techniques from Xiaosheng Bi. REGISTER HERE
GALLERY TOURS Let us be your guide! Schedule a free school field trip or group tour of our exhibitions. LEARN MORE
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