Fallen Leaves
Liu Jianhua
刘建华
Production date
2012-2014
Object Detail
Media
porcelain
Measurements
dimensions variable
Notes
Fallen Leaves (2012) was inspired by an experience one autumn in Jingdezhen, when Liu observed drifts of brown leaves and began to think about the passage of time, the transmigration of souls, and mortality. Over a period of three years, he made more than five thousand realistic porcelain leaves that are arranged across the floor of the gallery space as if they have fallen from the trees and blown in the wind. The inherent fragility of the material emphasises the fleeting nature of our physical existence: the work is a memento mori. The artist says he wanted to make people think about time, life and space, and about their own lives. With minimalist works, from which all inessential elements have been stripped away, Liu Jianhua interacts with Chinese tradition, and the artforms that have defined China’s cultural identity, to reflect on the enduring mysteries of life.
Accession number
2015.258