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Nude Chinese kneeling sculptures spark critique Cai Zhisong, a 29-year-old teacher from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, is a sculpture artist whose powerful work series Ode to Homeland earned him international recognition. He was the first Chinese artist to win the prestigious Taylor Prize, the top prize in the 2001 Paris Autumn Salon competition.
The Paris Autumn Salon, established in 1903, is an arena where artists from various countries showcase their talents in a bid to win worldwide recognition through its annual competition of art works. This is the first time in its nearly-100-year history Chinese artists were invited to the competition. However, these award-winning works, which were recently put on display at the Chinese Art Gallery, caused great controversy in China's artistic arena.
With legs kneeling or bending down, the stooping figures seem to step out of themself but are also hesitating and pondering. By using modern techniques and materials the artist provides historically endowed entities with an entirely new significance and actuality. While many insiders cited Cai’s fabulous technical skills and inventiveness as the reason for international recognition, many in the Chinese audience found it difficult to accept the works as masterpieces, thinking that the sculptures show ugly poses of humiliation, which carry a tremendous burden. Audience: The artist's figures seem to mourn the loss of history or cultural identity of the present age: one is bending down, and the other is kneeling. It is hard to see any martial power from these two men, which severely damages the image of highly motivated Chinese people. Art, especially sculpture work of the male figure, should depict a sort of robust power. However, the Ode to Homeland is a reflection of two sluggish men, which distorts the artistic theme of a widely accepted sculpture. As the works win a prestigious international prize, they should represent China’s culture in a positive way. But it is difficult to draw anything positive from the ugly image of the sculptures. Experts: Cai Zhisong's sculptures are masterpieces of modern artistic skill combined with historical roots. Out of glass-fiber reinforced resin and thin sheets of metal Cai creates figures that capture the viewer’s imagination and achieve a timeless beauty. Intricate surface structures as well as beautiful detail, like the ornate hairstyles created out of thin wires, contrast with the simple, clear shapes and poses of his sculptures. They always seem amazingly light. His inspiration lies in the history, but his message is that the culture and spirit of the past can still be found in today's daily life, which is reflected in the puzzling and lost facial expressions. For a piece of artwork breaking with convention, people simply draw the conclusion that it is ugly. In fact it is the conservative state of mind that restricts their appreciation. The understanding toward art is a matter of opinions and cannot easily be elevated to reflect the national spirit or image. Creator: My interest in the past is unequal. Everything we call heritage should be considered precious. I continually attempt to create artworks derived from our past legacy. I'm Chinese, so the source of my inspiration lies in that origin. Yet, now we face a greater challenge — a danger of being infringed upon, of disintegration, of assimilation. This is the situation I wish to evade as an artist. Although both commonness and individuality are contained in my works, I pay more attention to commonness, because it contains more profundity and compatibility. I have also formed my own style on this basis of commonness. The kneeling or bending is only a sculpture language or medium to express my feelings. Despite the controversy, I think people should bear in mind one word "tolerance." Tolerance toward artistic diversity will provide people more space to learn and think, which is an individual’s creation. People may experience complex feelings from this impressive sculpture. No matter what a single person feels, there will still be a shared mood acquired from the commonness of the artistic creation — that is the spanning of history of the human spirit.
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