Liao Yibai “Real Fake"

Liao Yibai’s is a Chinese artist who was born in Jiang An, Sichuan, China. He lives and works in Beijing and Chongqing, China. He graduated from Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts (SIFA) and received his MA from Chongqing University. He has had solo exhibitions in both China and New York and has been in many group exhibitions all over the world.  

Yibai’s welded stainless steal sculptures are magnificently molded and are of oversized hand bags, high heel shoes, watches, rings and other luxury objects with high labels. He is trying to depict the real and fake confusions that take place in China’s market place. He shows luxury labels in his works as well as creating his own luxury brands. He is questioning China’s rags to riches and through his sculpture, he elaborates on material obsession. Through his work he is trying to confront the multitudes of popular brands and logos and their overwhelming presence in today’s society. These immaculate sculptures are truly amazing and Yibai’s careful detail is extraordinary.

Liao Yibai’s current exhibition “Real Fake” is taking place at Mike Weiss Gallery located at 520 West 24^th Street, New York, NY from September 10^th - October 30^th. 

Nathan Sawaya "The Art of the Brick"

Nathan Sawaya is an unusual artist compared to other artists. Instead of using marble, bronze, wood, or limestone for his sculptures, he uses building blocks, and to be more specific LEGOS. According to Sawaya's web-site "The Art of the Brick," Sawaya's art is currently touring North American museums titles "The Art of the Brick." It is the only exhibition focusing exclusively on LEGO as an art medium. Sawaya is a New York sculptor known for his pop art and surrealism pieces made up of only LEGOS. Above is a photograph of one of the many "hugmans." Sawaya waned to start doing graffiti, but being the brick artist that he is allowed him to come up with something only using bricks, so eventually he came up with "hugman," which basically likes to hug sign poles, park benches, bike racks, fence posts and many other things. Sawaya intentionally placed many "hugmen" around NYC to act as his "tag." He has also traveled with many "hugmen" and have left them all over the country.

The figures Sawaya creates show great expressionism and great human emotoion. His distinct sculpture

can be found in public and corporate collections such as the National Marine Corps Museum, Neiman

Marcus, New Orleans Public Library and the New York Times, and Sawaya has also sold pieces to Donald Trump and musician Pete Wentz as well as numerous other private collections around the world.

Sawaya was born is Colville, Washington and raised in Venenta, Oregon. During Saway's college years he attended NYU. His sculptures are large scaled and very unique, and even though Sawaya is using LEGOS as his medium which are very angular blocks, he still manages to somehow show great curvature and expression. What I like most about Sawaya's sculptures is that they all show heavy emotion and the challenge to do so by using angular blocks like LEGOS. 

An up-coming exhibition of Sawaya's work in New York will be held at Agora Gallery, a contemporary art gallery that was established in 1984, located at 530 West 25th Street, Chelsea, NY starting November 23rd to December 14th 2010. This is a show you will not want to miss, since there is nothing else like this out there.