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Lot Essay
Wang Keping is one of the founders and most outspoken artists of The Stars group formed in China in 1979. Along with like-minded artists such as Huang Rui, Ma Desheng and Ai Weiwei, Wang Keping advocated and initiated some of the first free art expressions in the Post-Mao era. His sculptures from this period reflect the deep sense of rebellion he felt towards the oppressive regime.
Once Wang moved to France in 1984, in pursuit of the artistic freedom that he realised was unobtainable at that time in China, his works began to focus more on self-reflection and the materiality of the wood itself. Wang was deeply influenced by practices of French sculptors while seeking a way to embody traditional Chinese aesthetic ideals in his works. Heavily dictated by the natural conditions of wood, Wang's sculptures deliver glimpses into Chinese classical culture, often referencing works by Qi Baishi, sculptures from the Han Dynasty, or even attempting to illustrate the Zen concept of emptiness. Untitled & Untitled bear witness to Wang's explorations of the human form: guided by the natural characteristics of the wood, Wang uses the knots and cracks on the surfaces to coax out the form of the male and female figures. The final works recall European modernist sculptures while the polished surfaces accentuate the patterning and materiality of wood, calling to mind the practice of Chinese imperial sculptors who would draw from the natural shape, colour, and grain of their material to inspire their final forms. By embracing the materiality of wood, Wang successfully modernises a traditional philosophical aesthetic, inviting viewers to reconsider their place in the natural world.
Once Wang moved to France in 1984, in pursuit of the artistic freedom that he realised was unobtainable at that time in China, his works began to focus more on self-reflection and the materiality of the wood itself. Wang was deeply influenced by practices of French sculptors while seeking a way to embody traditional Chinese aesthetic ideals in his works. Heavily dictated by the natural conditions of wood, Wang's sculptures deliver glimpses into Chinese classical culture, often referencing works by Qi Baishi, sculptures from the Han Dynasty, or even attempting to illustrate the Zen concept of emptiness. Untitled & Untitled bear witness to Wang's explorations of the human form: guided by the natural characteristics of the wood, Wang uses the knots and cracks on the surfaces to coax out the form of the male and female figures. The final works recall European modernist sculptures while the polished surfaces accentuate the patterning and materiality of wood, calling to mind the practice of Chinese imperial sculptors who would draw from the natural shape, colour, and grain of their material to inspire their final forms. By embracing the materiality of wood, Wang successfully modernises a traditional philosophical aesthetic, inviting viewers to reconsider their place in the natural world.