Abstract

Ai Wu Ji Wu, which was also titled The Power of Drawing in Beijing, was a solo travelling exhibition that was exhibited in three venues in Northern China – Beijing, Shenyang and Shi Jia Zhong. The exhibition was comprised of 46 works mostly large scale drawings produced over 20 years, and was selected to demonstrate the development of visual language through the drawing process. The most recent and substantial component of the exhibition being based on work since 2000 and the influence of China upon my work. This exhibition contained 18 new or previously unseen works which were added to a larger body of the survey exhibition.
Today Museum and Art Gallery is the first non- governmental not for profit art museums in China which is linked to the Today Art Publishing House. It promotes major Chinese and International artists. The gallery boasts two significant venues in Beijing. The exhibition was reviewed by J. Wang “The Power of Drawing” in Oriental Art No. 6, 2006. A major work ‘Jiang Xin Bi Xin I’ was purchased by Today Museum for its permanent collection.
Lu Xun Academy of Fine Art is one of the top three art institutions in China. The gallery provided three large spaces for the exhibition and the show was reviewed in the Journal of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts as ‘See What I think and How I Think.’ The Academy purchased five of the works for their collection and the exhibition was covered by television by two different TV companies - Lioning TV Channel on 'Talk Show' televised on the 25th November 2006, and Liao Ning Satellite TV Channel on 'Every Morning' on the 27th November 2006.
The show then travelled to Shi Jia Zhong and was exhibited at the Hebei Normal University Gallery.
The exhibition was funded by the three venues and the 35 page catalogue ‘Ai Wu Ji Wu : Michael Esson –Drawings’(no isbn number) funded and published by Lu Xun Academy of Fine Art