To celebrate the year of the Tiger in the Chinese New Year, Tiger Beer have collaborated with artists around the UK to create art that explores the elements that compose the Chinese zodiac which include earth, wood, metal, fire and water. The artists will be pushed to the limits of their creativity, using a multitude of techniques such as engraving, interactive arts and installations to represent their given element. The daring Josef Valentino, who took the assignment on the premise that only artists who pushed the boundaries of art and imagination be involved, will curate all of the UK shows.
In accordance with this ethos, Walsall artist Chu has been chosen as the Birmingham representative and has been entrusted with the task of representing Wood. Having grown up in Walsall, Chu built himself a formidable reputation in the graffiti world during the 80’s and has since gone on to work with the staggeringly talented Banksy and Jamie Hewlett (Gorrilaz). Now a resident of London where he is a studio artist, he returns to his hometown to push Birmingham’s artistic threshold once more, challenging his townsfolk’s perceptions of what art can be. His creation, a bespoke 3 dimensional wooden cube filled with 3-d art, is as much a scientific triumph as an artistic one and will examine in one piece a section of Chinese history and the future of art.
Monday February 15

tiger_35

To celebrate the year of the Tiger in the Chinese New Year, Tiger Beer have collaborated with artists around the UK to create art that explores the elements that compose the Chinese zodiac which include earth, wood, metal, fire and water. The artists will be pushed to the limits of their creativity, using a multitude of techniques such as engraving, interactive arts and installations to represent their given element. The daring Josef Valentino, who took the assignment on the premise that only artists who pushed the boundaries of art and imagination be involved, will curate all of the UK shows.

In accordance with this ethos, Walsall artist Chu has been chosen as the Birmingham representative and has been entrusted with the task of representing Wood. Having grown up in Walsall, Chu built himself a formidable reputation in the graffiti world during the 80’s and has since gone on to work with the staggeringly talented Banksy and Jamie Hewlett (Gorrilaz). Now a resident of London where he is a studio artist, he returns to his hometown to push Birmingham’s artistic threshold once more, challenging his townsfolk’s perceptions of what art can be. His creation, a bespoke 3 dimensional wooden cube filled with 3-d art, is as much a scientific triumph as an artistic one and will examine in one piece a section of Chinese history and the future of art.

See Chu’s work on from February 15 to 19 at Boxxed, 104-108 Floodgate Street, Digbeth, Birmingham.

Check the website for events taking place across the UK.

We’ll be at the launch to see what Chu is up to so check back for an update.

Words: Lee Hall