HALF THE SKY: Women Artists in China Piper Press, Sydney. 2016 ISBN 9780980834741 Artists in China are producing some of the most interesting and compelling contemporary art of our time. This book presents thirty-two women artists working China today. It was Chairman Mao who said, 'Women hold up half the sky.' Luise Guest believes 'contemporary art in China is unlike anything in the rest of the world.' The artists include
Bu Hua, whose alter ego dresses as a schoolchild of the revolutionary past to represent contemporary female experience (see cover image).
Bingyi, whose vast ink paintings become immersive, site-specific installations.
Yu Hong, whose contemporary figures float on backgrounds of gold leaf
Qin Fengling, who squeezes thousands of tiny 3D figures from her paint tubes
Lin Tianmiao, Yin Xiuzhen, Gao Rong and Cao Fei
Yet despite the global reputations of many artists in this book, they are not as well known as their male counterparts. This book hopes to change this attitude a little. The text is based on the author's in-depth conversations with the artists over a period of 5 years researching in China.