From Xuan to Blindness
RUI XU’s Fashion Experience @ Royal College of Art
When: 21 AUG - 30 AUG 2015 (Daily 10.00 - 19.00)
Where: Upper Gulbenkian Gallery, Royal College of Art Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU Curator: Dr. Claire Pajaczkowska, Senior Research Tutor in Fashion and Textiles, Royal College of Art Haute Couture: Chinese element or Chinese spirit? Chinese fashion designer Rui Xu’s debut fashion exhibition in London (Link to Royal College of Art) "Prepared to be astonished and ravished by Rui Xu's works" Claire Pajaczkowska, Fashion academician at Royal College of Art "Rui Xu puts focus on the relationship between human being and clothing " Xu Bing, Chinese artist Rui Xu, a Chinese fashion designer from Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts, is revitalizing the spirit of the ancient Chinese literati or Chinese high society in her Haute Couture. Like her peers, such as Laurence Xu, Shang-Xia, Zhang Huishan and Pei Guo, who have already received international recognition because of their Chinese style in their design, Rui is an emerging Couturier who also rediscovers the links between current fashion and Chinese tradition. |
In Rui Xu’s forthcoming fashion exhibition ‘From Xuan to Blindness’ at Royal College of Art (21-30 August, 2015), the designer will present her definitive idea about beauty and authenticity of ‘Chineseness’. Her experience of more than 20 years as a practitioner of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy tempers a more cautious application of typical Chinese elements of pattern and embroidery on her garments. Instead, Rui Xu desires to take the best of the cultural and historic legacy of China and translate it to become relevant to today’s high fashion wearers. ‘My ambition is to revive the spirit of the ancient Chinese literati society in today’s fashion. I want to bring the loftiness and luxury of Chinese noblemen and noblewomen and empower the spiritual freedom to the wearer of my garments’ claimed the designer. Indeed, Rui Xu’s design is deeply influenced by Chinese philosophy, in particular Taoism’s ‘Naturalness’ and ‘Nonaction’. If it sounds ambiguous, it is. But in simple words, Rui Xu wants to present the high culture of China, rather than its well-known Chinatown culture. Referring to the Chinese literati society who once took dressing as a recreational pastime like painting and music, Rui Xu fuses the witty and playful essence into her design. For example, in the first part of the exhibition, audience will see a lower garment from her Red-Dot-Design-Award-winning’ ‘Xiang Wang Yi’ series, which is a skirt with four trouser legs, merging the boundaries and structures of clothing, and strongly contrasting with the western style of strict tailoring. Rui Xu’s emphasis on skills and textile innovation will be proved in her design collection in collaboration with Dr Kinor Jiang, a textile specialist and artist at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, in the third part of the exhibition. Audience will have the opportunity to look closely at the fine fabrics, which capture the splendid moment of metal burning, enabled by techniques of metal plating onto delicate natural textiles. Rui Xu, who studied fashion both in China and the UK, also points to her brand’s modernity or even post-modernity. In the second part of the exhibition, Rui Xu will show the audience her composite artworks, in which she combines the fashion language into landscape fantasy through a contemporary practice. Rui Xu’s design is always a fusion and dialogue of the east and the west fashion, reflecting how they understand and misunderstand each other. She is loyal to traditional Chinese non-structural shape whilst borrows the western collar shape and fascinated on exquisite tailoring of details. The large scale of her garments is reminiscent of both western brands such as Maison Margiela and the Chinese Emperor’s court robe at V&A museum. Rui Xu has explored the dynamic between the sobriety of traditional Chinese taste and the exuberance and freedom of western fashion culture. As China is moving toward the center of the world’s fashion design stage, Rui Xu has just launched her own studio in London’s South Kensington. Rui Xu chooses to celebrate the confidence of a new fashion culture with a style that is unique to her own tradition in the competitive fashion world of London. |
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VIPs and Press View: On the opening of the exhibition, VIPs and Press will see a 10-minute long performance, directed by Madaleine Trigg from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. 8 artists will create a poetic act, which hopes to embody the philosophy of Xuan, inspired by wearing Rui Xu’s paper dresses. Video For more information, please contact: Lang Xiao Director of ARTouch Consulting T: +44 7591 877 185 E: lang.xiao@artouchconsulting.com | W: www.artouchconsulting.com |
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About Rui Xu
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Rui XU (b.1976) is a Chinese fashion designer. She obtained her MA degree in Fashion at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, and now lectures at the same university. Since 2014, she has furthered her research in fashion design at the Royal College of Art in London. As a pioneer in the field of contemporary fashion art, she not only carries forward eastern aesthetics and Chinese Taoist philosophy in her designs, but also injects innovative creation into traditional production processes by exploring fabric-making techniques. Her collaboration with Dr Kinor Jiang, a textile specialist and artist at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, resulted in the successful application of metal plating onto delicate natural textiles. Her fashion-art treatise, Xiang Wang Yi, won the Red Dot Design Award in Germany and the Gold Award at the Design of Asia Awards in 2013. She was appointed as the chief costume designer for the 60th Miss World Final in 2010 and has worked as cultural director for the Haute Couture brand BE.PRIVÉ. Her fashion design works have been widely exhibited in various design and art institutions across the world, including the School of Art and Design at the Aalto University in Finland, the Davis College Design Museum at the University of California, the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and the FITE at the Musée Bargoin in France, etc. Her 250g series is part of the permanent collection at the China Silk Museum. She is a member of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Fashion Designer Association. |
About the exhibition
Part 1
Xuan: ‘井’shaped upper garment＋ ‘文’shaped trousers= Xiang Wang Yi
“Xuan, remote and profound.” By Xu Shen, in “Explaining and Analyzing Characters”, early 2nd century.
“(Xuan means) Mystery of mysteries, extremely mysterious and abstruse.” By Laozi, in “Tao Te Ching”, 6th century BC.
“The Master of Huainan says: ‘(Xuan means) the heaven. The treatises of sages never discuss oracular and mystical matters.’”Gao You, “Commentaries on the Treatises of Huainan”, 195-212.
Xuan, a significant concept in Chinese culture, is used to suggest infinitely changing and profound matters. In Chinese aesthetics, Xuan is used to describe both the colour and form of distant air, a state of being far away, an almost imperceptible haze reaching the highest realm of beauty. The fashion aesthetics of the Chinese literati and court (since 400 BC) embodied the idea of Xuan. Dressing, like painting and music, was considered a recreational pastime, a means of displaying refinement and a way to earn cultural capital. Dressing was a sophisticated, subtle, and ritualistic action heavy in meaning. For instance, why did the Chinese literati and nobility wear open-crotched ku (trousers) in multiple periods of Chinese history? They purposely kept the crotch open, and put on structurally complex qun (a skirt worn by ancient Chinese men) with wide garments, their intimate private parts being not quite visible, not quite invisible. Such contradictory logic -of openness and closeness- implies a tension between aesthetics and discipline. Being able to navigate court routine whilst maintaining decorum called for heavily choreographed and stylistic movements that separated and elevated the wearer from those in more practical, day-to-day clothing. “Xiang Wang Yi” is a series of work and research based on the concept of Xuan by Xu Rui during the period 2005 – 2007. Xiang Wang is the Chinese poet and philosopher Laozi’s further explanation of Xuan. Xiang is being and Wang is nonbeing; Xiang Wang, then, refers to an unexpected and accidental outcome. Based on the dressing rules of ancient Chinese nobles and literati, “Xiang Wang Yi” merges the boundaries of yi (upper garment), ku (trousers) and qun (skirt) to achieve multiple-way dressing, strongly contrasting with the western style of strict tailoring.
Xuan: ‘井’shaped upper garment＋ ‘文’shaped trousers= Xiang Wang Yi
“Xuan, remote and profound.” By Xu Shen, in “Explaining and Analyzing Characters”, early 2nd century.
“(Xuan means) Mystery of mysteries, extremely mysterious and abstruse.” By Laozi, in “Tao Te Ching”, 6th century BC.
“The Master of Huainan says: ‘(Xuan means) the heaven. The treatises of sages never discuss oracular and mystical matters.’”Gao You, “Commentaries on the Treatises of Huainan”, 195-212.
Xuan, a significant concept in Chinese culture, is used to suggest infinitely changing and profound matters. In Chinese aesthetics, Xuan is used to describe both the colour and form of distant air, a state of being far away, an almost imperceptible haze reaching the highest realm of beauty. The fashion aesthetics of the Chinese literati and court (since 400 BC) embodied the idea of Xuan. Dressing, like painting and music, was considered a recreational pastime, a means of displaying refinement and a way to earn cultural capital. Dressing was a sophisticated, subtle, and ritualistic action heavy in meaning. For instance, why did the Chinese literati and nobility wear open-crotched ku (trousers) in multiple periods of Chinese history? They purposely kept the crotch open, and put on structurally complex qun (a skirt worn by ancient Chinese men) with wide garments, their intimate private parts being not quite visible, not quite invisible. Such contradictory logic -of openness and closeness- implies a tension between aesthetics and discipline. Being able to navigate court routine whilst maintaining decorum called for heavily choreographed and stylistic movements that separated and elevated the wearer from those in more practical, day-to-day clothing. “Xiang Wang Yi” is a series of work and research based on the concept of Xuan by Xu Rui during the period 2005 – 2007. Xiang Wang is the Chinese poet and philosopher Laozi’s further explanation of Xuan. Xiang is being and Wang is nonbeing; Xiang Wang, then, refers to an unexpected and accidental outcome. Based on the dressing rules of ancient Chinese nobles and literati, “Xiang Wang Yi” merges the boundaries of yi (upper garment), ku (trousers) and qun (skirt) to achieve multiple-way dressing, strongly contrasting with the western style of strict tailoring.
Part 2
Xu’s Landscape
Xu Rui was born in Ürümqi in the Xinjiang region in the west of China. Her hometown is the farthest city from the sea of any in the world and offers a unique landscape: an emerald-like oasis intertwined with the Gobi desert, boundless snowfields and crystal clear sky. Ürümqi is the proud capital of Loulan culture while at the same time its geography and history means that it has long been a melting pot of various religions and ethnic groups. The unequaled landscape and vibrant culture of her hometown offered Xu Rui unlimited inspiration, intellectual stimulation, and a great sensibility for colour. Xu Rui places “Xiang Wang Yi” into her childhood memory of these natural landscapes, casting the beauty of her region’s skies and the qualities of its natural light on to clothes that appear to float, opening a dialogue between clothing and the universe. “Xu’s Landscape” is a series of 16 composite images created by the artist between 2007 and 2009. By using the techniques of micro shooting and artistic synthesis, she fuses the language of fashion with the fantasy landscape in her mind, highlighting both the cultural roots of her works and her drive to take engagement with history and nature beyond pastiche.
Xu’s Landscape
Xu Rui was born in Ürümqi in the Xinjiang region in the west of China. Her hometown is the farthest city from the sea of any in the world and offers a unique landscape: an emerald-like oasis intertwined with the Gobi desert, boundless snowfields and crystal clear sky. Ürümqi is the proud capital of Loulan culture while at the same time its geography and history means that it has long been a melting pot of various religions and ethnic groups. The unequaled landscape and vibrant culture of her hometown offered Xu Rui unlimited inspiration, intellectual stimulation, and a great sensibility for colour. Xu Rui places “Xiang Wang Yi” into her childhood memory of these natural landscapes, casting the beauty of her region’s skies and the qualities of its natural light on to clothes that appear to float, opening a dialogue between clothing and the universe. “Xu’s Landscape” is a series of 16 composite images created by the artist between 2007 and 2009. By using the techniques of micro shooting and artistic synthesis, she fuses the language of fashion with the fantasy landscape in her mind, highlighting both the cultural roots of her works and her drive to take engagement with history and nature beyond pastiche.
Part 3
Blindness: the Beauty of Burning Colours
“An image with a profusion of colours would blind one’s eyes; a piece of music utilising all sounds and pitch would deafen one’s ears; food that is over-rich and abundantly flavoured would damage one’s sense of taste. Dropping into excessive entertainment day and night would make one’s mind dissolute and irrepressible. Rare treasures would enable bad behaviours.” Laozi, in “Tao Te Ching”, 6th century BC.
Blindness is a negative metaphor in Tao Te Ching, yet Xu Rui decides to reinterpret the term in the context of fashion.The beauty of momentary colour celebrated by western aesthetics and Xuan’s pure neutral tones valued by Laozi are both interpretations of nature’s beauty. Xu Rui attempts to find an intersection of Chinese and western aesthetics. Since 2007, she has been collaborating with Dr. Kinor Jiang, a scientist and textile artist from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Jiang employs scientific and advanced technological methods – such as metal plating and molecular dissolution – in the production of fabrics, and by utilising such textiles, Xu Rui has successfully created a series of works, including “250g” and “Fish Fossils”. The splendid moment of metal burning is captured and presented on the textile surfaces, responding to the designer’s sentimental attachment to the colours of her hometown and its natural environment. Xuan and Blindness represent two polar sides of colour, but their intent of presenting nature remains the same. Both artistic and philosophical frameworks, and how they are interpreted by artists, reveal the divergence and convergence of Chinese and western fashion aesthetics. There is little doubt, however, that nature has always been -and will always be- an inexhaustible and universal source of inspiration in fashion design.
Blindness: the Beauty of Burning Colours
“An image with a profusion of colours would blind one’s eyes; a piece of music utilising all sounds and pitch would deafen one’s ears; food that is over-rich and abundantly flavoured would damage one’s sense of taste. Dropping into excessive entertainment day and night would make one’s mind dissolute and irrepressible. Rare treasures would enable bad behaviours.” Laozi, in “Tao Te Ching”, 6th century BC.
Blindness is a negative metaphor in Tao Te Ching, yet Xu Rui decides to reinterpret the term in the context of fashion.The beauty of momentary colour celebrated by western aesthetics and Xuan’s pure neutral tones valued by Laozi are both interpretations of nature’s beauty. Xu Rui attempts to find an intersection of Chinese and western aesthetics. Since 2007, she has been collaborating with Dr. Kinor Jiang, a scientist and textile artist from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Jiang employs scientific and advanced technological methods – such as metal plating and molecular dissolution – in the production of fabrics, and by utilising such textiles, Xu Rui has successfully created a series of works, including “250g” and “Fish Fossils”. The splendid moment of metal burning is captured and presented on the textile surfaces, responding to the designer’s sentimental attachment to the colours of her hometown and its natural environment. Xuan and Blindness represent two polar sides of colour, but their intent of presenting nature remains the same. Both artistic and philosophical frameworks, and how they are interpreted by artists, reveal the divergence and convergence of Chinese and western fashion aesthetics. There is little doubt, however, that nature has always been -and will always be- an inexhaustible and universal source of inspiration in fashion design.
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Studio 4, 30 Courtfield Gardens, South Kensington, London SW5 0PH
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从玄到目盲——英国皇家艺术学院徐蕊时尚艺术展
时间：2015年8月21日-8月30日
地址：Upper Gulbenkian Gallery, Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU
策展人：英国皇家艺术学院时装系Claire Pajaczkowska博士
"你一定会为徐蕊的设计感到震撼"
Claire Pajaczkowska, 英国皇家艺术学院材料与时尚专业教授、电影制作人、本展览策展人
"徐蕊的作品超越了对服装本身的关注，直指人与服装的关系"
徐冰，中国当代艺术家
来自中央美术学院的中国设计师徐蕊即将在2015年伦敦9月时装周前夕在英国皇家艺术学院举行她在伦敦的首次时尚艺术个展——“从玄到目盲”。长达二十余年对中国绘画和书法的研习，让徐蕊在时尚创作中格外强调中国传统文化及美学思想。然而，不同于一般性的对中式元素与符号的简单叠加，徐蕊的时尚作品旨在复兴中国古代文人士大夫阶层的穿衣哲学和审美精神。
经过在英国皇家艺术学院时装专业为期一年的访问研究，徐蕊将通过本次展览向英国时尚业内人士以及普通观众阐释何为‘中式语境下的时尚之美’、何为‘中西方审美的不同与趋同’。徐蕊说：“我希望可以在时下的时装，特别是高级定制这一领域，让穿我作品的人能感受到中式文人的优雅与闲适。通过形态多变的穿载游戏、纤维艺术家的独特面料、精良的传统工艺，以及简练概括的线条，给予穿衣者再度创作的精神自由，挖掘‘奢侈’的更深层含义。”正如中国当代艺术家徐冰所评价的：“徐蕊的作品已经超越了对服装本身的关注，而是直指人与服装的关系。”
在本次展览中，观众将既能看到道家思想对徐蕊创作的启发，也能看到她对时装的面料和技艺的不懈探索和创新尝试。本次展品包括徐蕊荣获德国设计界“红点奖”以及香港设计中心“亚洲最具影响力金奖”的代表作《象罔衣》系列、她与香港理工大学纺织及制衣学系的姜绶祥博士合作，运用其金属镀覆与溶解等特种技艺创作的《四两十》、《捕捉光影》等系列、以及徐蕊借助微拍与合成技巧，将时装语言融入到臆造的故乡景观之中的《徐氏风景》影像合成系列。
贯穿在徐蕊时尚作品中的 “有与无”、“虚与实”的中式哲思，一方面给西方观众带来了新鲜的视觉感受，另一方面也引发了中西方时尚间有关审美共鸣的讨论。譬如，徐蕊设计的大体量的作品让英国维多利亚与艾伯特博物馆的Neil Taylor博士既联想到收藏于该博物馆的中国古代宫廷服饰，也联想到Maison Margiela等西方时尚设计品牌。
当被英国媒体《梅菲尔周刊》和《华闻周刊》问及是否担心设计作品不被西方观众所接受时，徐蕊说：“目前，我已经收到了来自包括英国顶尖买手店Browns的创办人Joan Burstein女士在内的一些英国时尚界代表人物的认可。我想，无论中国还是西方，人类对美好事物的追求是一致的。我试图通过设计找到中西方审美的共性。”
据英国皇家艺术学院时尚研究方向教授兼本次展览的策展人Claire Pajaczkowska介绍, 特邀嘉宾及媒体在展览开幕式当晚还将观赏到由英国皇家演讲和戏剧学院教师，演员 Madaleine Trigg与徐蕊合作的时装与肢体行为表演。8位西方的职业舞蹈演员们将他们从这位中国设计师身上获取的灵感转换为一种中国书写式的意趣，并付诸于跨文化、跨领域的再度创作——这，正是中西方文化交融的一次有趣的尝试。
如今，中国正在世界时尚舞台上扮演越来越重要的角色，而越来越多的中国设计师也更主动地从自身的文化和传统中寻找创作源泉。作为欧洲乃至世界时尚之都，伦敦无疑是大多数设计师最愿意攀登的舞台之一。将中式风雅传播到更广阔的平台上，与来自世界各地的优秀设计师同台竞技，也是中国本土设计师一向所致力的目标。徐蕊独到的、古典的设计风格和依托于作品背后的中式哲思，不仅让她成为这一批设计师中的佼佼者和代表人物，更让她拥有足够丰厚的底蕴来传递中国文化的精华。这次由英国皇家艺术学院及中央美术学院联合主办的为期十日的“从玄到目盲”时尚艺术展，是徐蕊在伦敦的一个起点，也是中国设计师在伦敦时尚事业的又一高点。从这个展览出发，徐蕊将一步步向英国观众诠释更多更妙的中式风雅。
【关于徐蕊】
徐蕊1976年出生于中国。她毕业于中央美术学院时装艺术专业，并执教于该专业。她于2014至2015年间在英国皇家艺术学院时装专业进行访问研究。作为当代时装艺术的先锋代表，徐蕊力图融合西方的有形艺术与中式的精神表达。一方面，她的设计理念深受中国传统文化中道家思想的启发，其代表作《象罔衣》系列即是通过无形无色的设计形式来表现“有和无”、“虚和实”的哲思；另一方面，她在传统中不懈寻求突破，并与香港理工大学纺织及制衣学院的姜绶祥博士合作，将其金属镀覆与溶解等特种技艺运用到时尚设计过程中，成功创作出《四两十》、《捕捉光影》等系列。
徐蕊的《象罔衣》时尚研究专著于2013年获得德国设计红点奖以及香港设计组织颁发的亚洲最具影响力金奖。她曾应邀担任第60届世界小姐总决赛的首席时装设计师。徐蕊的作品多次在国内外学术会议和艺术机构中展出，如芬兰赫尔辛基阿尔托大学设计艺术学院，美国加州大学戴维斯设计博物馆、英国伯明翰大学、法国里昂巴尔古安博物馆等。她于2013年在美国密歇根大学的个展，获得圈内媒体的关注与好评。其与姜绶祥博士合作的《四两十》系列被中国丝绸博物馆纳入永久收藏。徐蕊曾屡次获得中国服装设计师“汉帛奖”，并为高端定制品牌BE.PRIVÉ担任文化策划总监。此外，她也是中国时装设计协会学术委员会成员及中国工艺美术家协会会员。
【关于展览】
第一部分
• 玄：井衣＋文袴=象罔衣
玄, 幽远也。—--东汉·许慎《说文解字》
玄之又玄，众妙之门。——老子《道德经》
淮南子曰：天也。圣经不言玄妙。——高诱《高注》
“玄”在中国文化中是一个非常重要的概念，用以解释那些变化莫测的深奥事物。在中国美学的范畴里，“玄”意指天空和遥远，而隐匿在空气中无法看清的颜色和形状是美的至高境界。中国文人士大夫阶层的服装审美即体现了“玄”的概念。穿衣是一个复杂而充满玄机的行为。比如：在中国历史的多个时期中，文人士大夫阶层的袴（裤）皆是开裆的，原因何在呢？原来，如同琴棋书画一般，穿衣被文人士大夫阶层视为有闲阶层的一种游戏。他们有意开着本可以合上的裆，用布幅庞大又穿载复杂的裙将人体私处置于虚实之间。这个相悖的开合逻辑，实则是一场格调与纪律的竞技，坐卧行走都面临挑战。《象罔衣》是徐蕊围绕“玄”的概念于2005至2007年间创作的系列作品和研究。“象罔”是老子本人对“玄”的进一步阐释，即象即是有，罔即是无，意为无意之中的意外结果。《象罔衣》基于中国古代文人的穿载游戏规则，混淆了衣、袴、裙之间的界限，实现了“一衣多穿”，并与西式精确裁剪的风格形成了鲜明的比照。
第二部分
• 映：徐氏风景
徐蕊出生在中国西部的新疆乌鲁木齐—--世界上离海最远的古老城市。新疆独特的西域风景和多元文化给在故乡生活过十余年的徐蕊提供了无限的创作灵感，也孕育了她对色彩的敏锐感知能力。这里，祖母绿宝石般的绿洲与沙漠戈壁交相辉映，构成罕见的地貌景观；这里，春有凝翠欲滴的天空，夏有野花烂漫的雪山，秋有璀璨若珍匣的喀纳斯，冬有纯净无垠的雪原；这里，更是楼兰文化的故地，多民族多宗教的碰撞交融形成了独一无二的迷人文化。徐蕊将《象罔衣》置入她对儿时自然景观的记忆，将天光的美色映射在如空气般游走的衣服上，使其与天地产生了新的灵犀。《徐氏风景》系列是徐蕊于2007年至2009年之间创作的16幅影像合成作品。她借助微拍与合成的技巧，将时装语言融入到臆造的故乡景观之中，突出了作品的西域属性。
第三部分
• 目盲：燃烧的美色
《道德经》(第十二章)：五色令人目盲；五音令人耳聋；五味令人口爽；驰骋畋猎，令人心发狂；难得之货，令人行妨。
“目盲”在老子的文中本为贬意，但徐蕊选择在时尚语境里重释旧词。西方强调的色彩瞬间之美与老子强调的玄色永恒之美，都是对自然美景的诠释。徐蕊试图发现一个中西方审美的交集。自2007年起，她与香港理工大学纺织与制衣学系的姜绶祥博士合作，将其金属镀覆与分子溶解等科技手段制成的布料运用到时尚设计中来，创作出《四两十》、《鱼化石》等系列。在这些系列中，金属燃烧的绚烂瞬间被捕捉到布面上，回应了设计师心中对西域家乡的色彩眷恋。虽然“玄”与“目盲”是色彩的两个极端，但是它们对自然的表达却不矛盾。这也正是中西方时尚审美中的不同与趋同。自然，永远是时尚取之不尽的源泉。
地址：Upper Gulbenkian Gallery, Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU
策展人：英国皇家艺术学院时装系Claire Pajaczkowska博士
"你一定会为徐蕊的设计感到震撼"
Claire Pajaczkowska, 英国皇家艺术学院材料与时尚专业教授、电影制作人、本展览策展人
"徐蕊的作品超越了对服装本身的关注，直指人与服装的关系"
徐冰，中国当代艺术家
来自中央美术学院的中国设计师徐蕊即将在2015年伦敦9月时装周前夕在英国皇家艺术学院举行她在伦敦的首次时尚艺术个展——“从玄到目盲”。长达二十余年对中国绘画和书法的研习，让徐蕊在时尚创作中格外强调中国传统文化及美学思想。然而，不同于一般性的对中式元素与符号的简单叠加，徐蕊的时尚作品旨在复兴中国古代文人士大夫阶层的穿衣哲学和审美精神。
经过在英国皇家艺术学院时装专业为期一年的访问研究，徐蕊将通过本次展览向英国时尚业内人士以及普通观众阐释何为‘中式语境下的时尚之美’、何为‘中西方审美的不同与趋同’。徐蕊说：“我希望可以在时下的时装，特别是高级定制这一领域，让穿我作品的人能感受到中式文人的优雅与闲适。通过形态多变的穿载游戏、纤维艺术家的独特面料、精良的传统工艺，以及简练概括的线条，给予穿衣者再度创作的精神自由，挖掘‘奢侈’的更深层含义。”正如中国当代艺术家徐冰所评价的：“徐蕊的作品已经超越了对服装本身的关注，而是直指人与服装的关系。”
在本次展览中，观众将既能看到道家思想对徐蕊创作的启发，也能看到她对时装的面料和技艺的不懈探索和创新尝试。本次展品包括徐蕊荣获德国设计界“红点奖”以及香港设计中心“亚洲最具影响力金奖”的代表作《象罔衣》系列、她与香港理工大学纺织及制衣学系的姜绶祥博士合作，运用其金属镀覆与溶解等特种技艺创作的《四两十》、《捕捉光影》等系列、以及徐蕊借助微拍与合成技巧，将时装语言融入到臆造的故乡景观之中的《徐氏风景》影像合成系列。
贯穿在徐蕊时尚作品中的 “有与无”、“虚与实”的中式哲思，一方面给西方观众带来了新鲜的视觉感受，另一方面也引发了中西方时尚间有关审美共鸣的讨论。譬如，徐蕊设计的大体量的作品让英国维多利亚与艾伯特博物馆的Neil Taylor博士既联想到收藏于该博物馆的中国古代宫廷服饰，也联想到Maison Margiela等西方时尚设计品牌。
当被英国媒体《梅菲尔周刊》和《华闻周刊》问及是否担心设计作品不被西方观众所接受时，徐蕊说：“目前，我已经收到了来自包括英国顶尖买手店Browns的创办人Joan Burstein女士在内的一些英国时尚界代表人物的认可。我想，无论中国还是西方，人类对美好事物的追求是一致的。我试图通过设计找到中西方审美的共性。”
据英国皇家艺术学院时尚研究方向教授兼本次展览的策展人Claire Pajaczkowska介绍, 特邀嘉宾及媒体在展览开幕式当晚还将观赏到由英国皇家演讲和戏剧学院教师，演员 Madaleine Trigg与徐蕊合作的时装与肢体行为表演。8位西方的职业舞蹈演员们将他们从这位中国设计师身上获取的灵感转换为一种中国书写式的意趣，并付诸于跨文化、跨领域的再度创作——这，正是中西方文化交融的一次有趣的尝试。
如今，中国正在世界时尚舞台上扮演越来越重要的角色，而越来越多的中国设计师也更主动地从自身的文化和传统中寻找创作源泉。作为欧洲乃至世界时尚之都，伦敦无疑是大多数设计师最愿意攀登的舞台之一。将中式风雅传播到更广阔的平台上，与来自世界各地的优秀设计师同台竞技，也是中国本土设计师一向所致力的目标。徐蕊独到的、古典的设计风格和依托于作品背后的中式哲思，不仅让她成为这一批设计师中的佼佼者和代表人物，更让她拥有足够丰厚的底蕴来传递中国文化的精华。这次由英国皇家艺术学院及中央美术学院联合主办的为期十日的“从玄到目盲”时尚艺术展，是徐蕊在伦敦的一个起点，也是中国设计师在伦敦时尚事业的又一高点。从这个展览出发，徐蕊将一步步向英国观众诠释更多更妙的中式风雅。
【关于徐蕊】
徐蕊1976年出生于中国。她毕业于中央美术学院时装艺术专业，并执教于该专业。她于2014至2015年间在英国皇家艺术学院时装专业进行访问研究。作为当代时装艺术的先锋代表，徐蕊力图融合西方的有形艺术与中式的精神表达。一方面，她的设计理念深受中国传统文化中道家思想的启发，其代表作《象罔衣》系列即是通过无形无色的设计形式来表现“有和无”、“虚和实”的哲思；另一方面，她在传统中不懈寻求突破，并与香港理工大学纺织及制衣学院的姜绶祥博士合作，将其金属镀覆与溶解等特种技艺运用到时尚设计过程中，成功创作出《四两十》、《捕捉光影》等系列。
徐蕊的《象罔衣》时尚研究专著于2013年获得德国设计红点奖以及香港设计组织颁发的亚洲最具影响力金奖。她曾应邀担任第60届世界小姐总决赛的首席时装设计师。徐蕊的作品多次在国内外学术会议和艺术机构中展出，如芬兰赫尔辛基阿尔托大学设计艺术学院，美国加州大学戴维斯设计博物馆、英国伯明翰大学、法国里昂巴尔古安博物馆等。她于2013年在美国密歇根大学的个展，获得圈内媒体的关注与好评。其与姜绶祥博士合作的《四两十》系列被中国丝绸博物馆纳入永久收藏。徐蕊曾屡次获得中国服装设计师“汉帛奖”，并为高端定制品牌BE.PRIVÉ担任文化策划总监。此外，她也是中国时装设计协会学术委员会成员及中国工艺美术家协会会员。
【关于展览】
第一部分
• 玄：井衣＋文袴=象罔衣
玄, 幽远也。—--东汉·许慎《说文解字》
玄之又玄，众妙之门。——老子《道德经》
淮南子曰：天也。圣经不言玄妙。——高诱《高注》
“玄”在中国文化中是一个非常重要的概念，用以解释那些变化莫测的深奥事物。在中国美学的范畴里，“玄”意指天空和遥远，而隐匿在空气中无法看清的颜色和形状是美的至高境界。中国文人士大夫阶层的服装审美即体现了“玄”的概念。穿衣是一个复杂而充满玄机的行为。比如：在中国历史的多个时期中，文人士大夫阶层的袴（裤）皆是开裆的，原因何在呢？原来，如同琴棋书画一般，穿衣被文人士大夫阶层视为有闲阶层的一种游戏。他们有意开着本可以合上的裆，用布幅庞大又穿载复杂的裙将人体私处置于虚实之间。这个相悖的开合逻辑，实则是一场格调与纪律的竞技，坐卧行走都面临挑战。《象罔衣》是徐蕊围绕“玄”的概念于2005至2007年间创作的系列作品和研究。“象罔”是老子本人对“玄”的进一步阐释，即象即是有，罔即是无，意为无意之中的意外结果。《象罔衣》基于中国古代文人的穿载游戏规则，混淆了衣、袴、裙之间的界限，实现了“一衣多穿”，并与西式精确裁剪的风格形成了鲜明的比照。
第二部分
• 映：徐氏风景
徐蕊出生在中国西部的新疆乌鲁木齐—--世界上离海最远的古老城市。新疆独特的西域风景和多元文化给在故乡生活过十余年的徐蕊提供了无限的创作灵感，也孕育了她对色彩的敏锐感知能力。这里，祖母绿宝石般的绿洲与沙漠戈壁交相辉映，构成罕见的地貌景观；这里，春有凝翠欲滴的天空，夏有野花烂漫的雪山，秋有璀璨若珍匣的喀纳斯，冬有纯净无垠的雪原；这里，更是楼兰文化的故地，多民族多宗教的碰撞交融形成了独一无二的迷人文化。徐蕊将《象罔衣》置入她对儿时自然景观的记忆，将天光的美色映射在如空气般游走的衣服上，使其与天地产生了新的灵犀。《徐氏风景》系列是徐蕊于2007年至2009年之间创作的16幅影像合成作品。她借助微拍与合成的技巧，将时装语言融入到臆造的故乡景观之中，突出了作品的西域属性。
第三部分
• 目盲：燃烧的美色
《道德经》(第十二章)：五色令人目盲；五音令人耳聋；五味令人口爽；驰骋畋猎，令人心发狂；难得之货，令人行妨。
“目盲”在老子的文中本为贬意，但徐蕊选择在时尚语境里重释旧词。西方强调的色彩瞬间之美与老子强调的玄色永恒之美，都是对自然美景的诠释。徐蕊试图发现一个中西方审美的交集。自2007年起，她与香港理工大学纺织与制衣学系的姜绶祥博士合作，将其金属镀覆与分子溶解等科技手段制成的布料运用到时尚设计中来，创作出《四两十》、《鱼化石》等系列。在这些系列中，金属燃烧的绚烂瞬间被捕捉到布面上，回应了设计师心中对西域家乡的色彩眷恋。虽然“玄”与“目盲”是色彩的两个极端，但是它们对自然的表达却不矛盾。这也正是中西方时尚审美中的不同与趋同。自然，永远是时尚取之不尽的源泉。