The name, Fen-Ma Liuming, was conceived by Ma Liuming in 1993. Since then, the artist carried out his performance works in the name of this persona, which is a combination of a woman's and a man's names. The following is an excerpt taken from Yuko Hasegawa's essay which provides us with a clearer impression of this persona and the concept of Ma's performance art:

Fen-Ma Liuming is characterised by a lack of expression - his face conveys nothing, nor does he speak. In contrast to Fen-Ma Liuming's mask-like face that resembles an intricate work of art, his body is acutely real as it responds in the performance venue, completely exposed to the audience. And it is when Fen-Ma Liuming is absolutely still the greatest level of internal tension is emanated. At times, Fen-Ma Liuming's performance contains a sense of ambivalence - it is an intuitive happening that unfolds in a totally unpredictable way, but at the same time, a strick formality is also evident. ma has said that moderation and tranquility, elements in the principle of Yin and Yang, are important elements in his performances: 'There are two types of beauty. External and visible beauty, and beauty that lies within, the beauty of the spirit and emotions. I want my work to represent both'.

The present publication is the catalogue of the retrospective exhibition of art of Ma Liuming from around 1994-2004. Artist's biography is provided.