Ai Qiu Hopen, Memorial Designer, Sculptor
Notable awards
Aiqiu earned her international reputation as professional sculptor by winning the shanghai international sculpture competition, In 2005 selected from an international field of 362 sculptors by shanghai government and commissioned “Songs of Harmony” for down town Shanghai Harmony park.
In 2013 Aiqiu won an open national competition in USA for a major civil right movement monument for foot soldiers , The 1963 Birmingham civil right movement lead by Martin Luther King and movement in other cities changed America history forced the pass law of 1964 civil right act that outlaw discrimination based on race.
In 2017, As an Artist, Ai Qu Hopen, has been selected in an international design competition in one of three semifinalist teams to submit design concepts for Ed Johnson Lynch memorial.
Ai Qiu' sculptures and poetry are reflections her deep meditations on humanity and justice, sympathy and harmony of the world, she calls her work “humble labor in countless gestures of prayer for peace.”
Competitively awarded commissions inside USA and abroad:
2016 David Gordon foundation Memorial group 4 life size figures, installed,Washington, DC. David Gordon Memorial Foundation
2013 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Wangari Mathaai, (Ai Q. Hopen portrait likeness) 6ft portrait bronze with bronze tree and dove, St Scholastica plaza, Benedictine University, Atchison, Kansas
2013 Grand prize winner, national design competition US civil right movement monument for Foot soldiers. This work will be placed in Kelly Ingram Park, Birmingham, Alabama (the park is a national monument designated by Obama)
2010-2011 “Wedding at Cana” , Eight life size bronze figures with 6 large wine/water jars, Wichita Spiritual life Center, Wichita, Kansas
2012 Nashville civil right movement monument competition, The 1963 Sit-ins, finalist
2005 Charlie Chaplin for China national sculpture park (Shanghai Oriental park)
2005 selected from an international field of 362 sculptors by shanghai government and commissioned “Songs of Harmony” for down town Shanghai Harmony Park
2005 “Song of Life bronze”, life size, commissioned works Installed in Contemporary Spring Villa, Shanghai, China
2004 “living water” bronze, two figures, Princeton, WV
2004 “Children and Peace Dove” bronze, life size
(Commission) Main Entrance. International Peace Hospital, Shanghai, China
2003 “John William "Blind" Boone” Seated bronze figure 1.25x lifesize
(commission) Blind Boone Memorial Park, Warrensburg, Mo
2001 "Three Harts", Bronze, Hopen Studio Inc.
International commission , 2002. Three life scale bronze bucks atop a large bronze boulder, to complete 100 year old architect’s vision of artwork for peristyle arch of
Bavarian castle entrance .Bolt Castle, St. Lawrence River Thousand Isles Bridge authority Hart Island, St. Lawrence River, U.S./ Canada
2000 “Bird”, 12 feet tall Stainless-steel , fountain, light/water
Down town Shanghai Real Estate plaza, China
1999 “History of Ancient Cultures” Ceramic, relief sculpture mural, 6ft x 32 ft. Pudong Market Mall, Shanghai China
1996-1999 ECNU Shanghai University, East China Normal University (Reputed to be the “Columbia of the East”), attended under art merit scholarship, Academy of Modern Art Design and education, Four year Graduate major in modern art design
Ai Qiu have created and installed more than 50 life size bronze sculptures both independently and collaboratively through Hopen Studio Inc. and Humanity Memorial Inc.
Clients Feedback for the artist:
“This is so beautiful, we are struck by the resemblance and emotions conveyed. Thank you so much”
----Lisa (David Gordon Memorial, in memory of David Gordon Louis Daniel, who was killed in a vehicular accident at dusk on July 31, 2004. David Gordon, a Spring Hill student, was almost eight at the time of his death)
“Millions visitors to our facility have enjoyed their work and it has become a signature on Heart
Island.” --- Robert G. Horr , Executive Director Thousand Islands Bridge Authority
“Ai Qiu is a true Artist. I gave her information on the subject I wished to honor with a sculpture and she immersed herself, lived and breathed this history until she came up with the most amazing drawings, poetry, maquette and finally full sized sculpture. She worked with us from a distance (we were in the Midwest and she on the coast), but sent me information constantly, wrote beautiful poetry about the experience, brought the maquette and drawings to me personally, made video and photos of the process and simply created the most exciting sculpture for which we could have hoped. I wish she will create artworks for every city in the world.
Note: kids love her artwork
Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, Creative
Sandy Irle, President “Blind” Boone Park Renovation.
Blind Boone Park was originally a segregated park for the African-American community. The Blind Boone Park Renovation Group volunteers worked for 5 years to raise funds for the park's renovation. As one volunteer, Charles Briscoe put it, "What once kept us apart now brings us together".
Warrensburg, Missouri. (John William Blind “Boone” Memorial).
Publication:
American Award Winning Document film about Poet-Sculptor Ai Qiu Hopen :
Beautiful You
Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDsKRLJ4QYQ&hl=en-GB&gl=GB
Book, Beijing Olympic artworks collections
Contact information Websites: www.AiQiuhopen.com
Email: artdirectauction@yahoo.com (304)765 5611
Address: 227 Main Street, Sutton WV 26601, USA.
