Art Works from the Exhibition

Most of the photos from the second "Stars" exhibition have been taken directly during the show. Some prints, drawings and sculptures were taken out of their show-cases and frames and taken to the gallery's roof-top for better light and to to avoid reflections. Photos of a few art works come from other sources.

These photos do not constitute a complete documentation of the exhibition, but a representative selection of works by some 20 participating artists. There are also authors who contributed Poems, sometimes specifically written to accompany the paintings and sculptures.

Below you find works by the following artists and poets:

Ai Weiwei 艾未未 Pao Pao 包炮 Guan Naixin 关乃炘 Huang Rui 黄锐

Li Shuang 李爽 Ma Desheng 马德升 Mao Lizi 毛栗子 Qu Leilei 曲磊磊

Shao Dayuan 肖大元 Shao Fei 邵飞 Song Hong 宋红 Wang Keping 王克平

Yan Li 严力 Yang Yiping 杨益平 Zhu Jinshi 朱金石

Gedichte: Yang Lian 杨炼 Bei Dao 北岛 Zhao Nan 赵南 Shu Ting 舒婷

: 《风景之三》"Landscape No. 3" (watercolor)

Ai Weiwei 艾未未

Ai Weiwei, who's art was still little known at that time, presented six of his oil paintings in the second "Stars" exibition. Ai was one of the youngest of the participating artists, but he enjoyed some prominence because of his father, the well-known Poet Ai Qing (艾青) who had for a long time been a faithful cultural worker serving the Communist Party. Nevertheless he became a victim of purges during the Hundred Flowers Campaign in the fifties. He was deported to live with his family (including young Ai Weiwei) in the remote western province of Xinjiang and prohibited from publishing between 1958 and 1978.

Bao Pao 包炮

Bao Pao, was Born in 1940 and therefore one of the older members of the group. During the Cultural Revolution he was the leader of one of the "rebel organizations" of the Red Guards (红卫兵造反派) in Shanghai. As an Artist he became member of the "Stars" in 1979. His more recent works of art deal mainly with the political symbols of the Mao era.

: 《台湾》"Taiwan" (Quyang jade sculpture)

: 《倦》"Weary" (Quyang jade sculpture)

: 《汉伎》"Chinese Courtesan"

Guan Naixin 关乃炘

: 《坐着的人体》"Sitting Person" (oil on canvas)

: 《漠》"Desert" (oil on canvas)

: 《拉琴的女孩》"Violin-Playing Girl" (oil on canvas)

Huang Rui 黄锐

Huang Rui was one of the most active members of the "Stars", he also was a co-founder and "art director" of the lierary Journal "Today". After 1981 he left for Japan, but he later returned to Beijing. He is collecting and publishing documents and other materials on the "Stars" group and their exhibitions.

: 《出世》"Born" (oil on canvas)

: 《夏》"Summer" (oil on canvas)

: 《街道生产组的补绣女工》"Seamstresses in a Street Production Unit" (oil on paper)

: 《秋》"Autumn" (oil on canvas)

: 《我们每天早晨的太阳》"Our Daily Morning Sun" (oil on canvas)

: 《人体》"Body" (oil on paper, 1980)

: 《冬》"Winter" (oil on paper, 1980)

: 世俗（组画）《春》Earthliness (Group) "Spring" (oil on paper)

: 《圆明园 - 葬礼》"Yuanmingyuan - Funeral" (oil on canvas, 1980)

: 《人体》"Body" (oil on paper, 1980)

: 《圆明园 - 自由》"Yuanmingyuan - Freedom" (oil on canvas, 1979)

: 《琴声诉》"The Guitar's Story" (oil on canvas, 1979)

Li Shuang 李爽

: 《别离》"Parting" (Woodblock, 1980)

: 《神台下的红孩》"Red Children under the Altar" (oil on canvas, 1980)

: 《吉他弹奏着》"Guitar Player" (oil on canvas, 1980)

: 《肖像》"Portrait" (oil on canvas, 1980)

: 《荒野的知音》"Old Friend in the Wilderness" (woodblock, 1980)

Ma Desheng 马德升

: 《渴》"Thirst" 《热》"Heat" 《沙滩》"Sandy Beach" (woodblocks)

: 《白与黑的世界》"The Black and White World" (woodblock)

: 《6平方米》"6 Square Meters" (woodblock)

: 《无题》"Untitled" (series, woodblock) Popsicle Vendor

: 《无题》"Untitled" (series, woodblock)

: 《沙滩》"Sandy Beach" (woodblock)

Mao Lizi 毛栗子

: 《徘徊》"Mouch" (mixed media)

Mao Lizi was originally - as a cultural worker - in the Chinese "People's Liberation Army". He ran into trouble with his superiors when he participated in the "Stars" exhibition without having asked prior permission. He escaped facing the court-martial only by immediately leaving the armed forces (and giving up his job).