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Biography
A sculpture artist whose powerful work has gained him international recognition, Cai Zhisong, a graduate of Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Art, was the first Chinese artist to win the prestigious Taylor prize at the Paris Autumn Salon in Eiffel-Branly. Established in 1903, many of the world's most famous artists have participated in the Autumn Salon, including Gauguin, Cezanne, Matisse, Renoir, Bonnard and Rodin. The Autumn Salon opens every year, comprising of painting, sculpture, architecture and photography. Named after Baron Taylor, only one distinguished artist receives the Taylor Prize every year.
Created with great technical skill and inventiveness, Cai Zhisong's impressive sculptures derive their inspiration from the sculptures of the Qin (221-206 B.C.) and Han Dynasties (206/202 B.C. - 220). Taking empirical figures, servants and warriors as his models, he uses modern techniques and materials to transform historically endowed entities into an entirely new significance and actuality. Out of glass-fiber reinforced resin and thin sheets of metal Cai Zhisong creates figures that capture the viewer's imagination and achieve a timeless beauty. Intricate surface detail, such as the figures' ornate hairstyles created out of thin wires, contrast with the simple, clear shapes and poses of his sculptures. Although impressive in size, the use of high tech material makes the figures seem amazingly light.
Cai Zhisong's earlier works of several small women's bodies reveal his classical artistic training, showing his mastery of different sculpting techniques and materials. Although cast in bronze, these women's bodies convey the spontaneous quality of clay models as traces of the artist's hands still reveal themselves through the fingerprints on the surface of the bodies. Although small and delicate, the rough, un-worked surface makes these sculptures at the same time very expressive.
Cai Zhisong's latest series of works -"Motherland"- not only shows his fascination with ancient Chinese culture but also addresses the dangers and consequences of cultural erosion in the face of today's increasing Globalization. An attempt to counteract this development, his artwork attempts to establish an indigenous form of contemporary art. Central to his work lies the belief that art should be pluralistic, while the modern art world - despite its seeming diversity - harbors the danger of uniformity. Cai Zhisong observes the already existent centralization and economic strength of western civilizations driving many marginalized regional cultures to the periphery of society to become culture reservations or tourist attractions.
While Cai Zhisong's interest in the past proves unequivocal, he also stresses the need to connect past and present to keep traditions alive and developing. He states: "Everything which we call heritage should be considered precious, especially living heritage, or, it may not truly be called heritage in the true sense of the word. I continually attempt to create artworks which are derived from our past legacy." The artist is hence drawn to the Qin (221-206 B.C., whose emperor first united the many warring states in China) and Han (206/202 B.C. - 220 A.D.) dynasties because he was inspired by the flourishing culture of those periods, a legacy that has left a lasting impact on Chinese history and customs today. Mixed with influences resulting from Cai's classical academic training, these ideas of cultural identity and the past came together in the creation of "Motherland" to form a highly individual interpretation of history and life.
Cai Zhisong's Ode to Motherland series consists of several over-life-sized sculptures of nude male figures. Although muscular, the figures' muscles do not overemphasize the physique, but instead the figure's outline and shape remain smooth and clear. The power of these figures communicates itself through their large heads and limbs. Their poses of humiliation and suppression contrast with their size and implied strength, while the nakedness of the figures further emphasize their vulnerability.
Although derived from ancient sources, the expressive poses do not possess much in common with the static, solemn sculpture-works of former periods of Chinese art. Carefully balanced between movement and stillness they create a tension, which engages the viewer's imagination. Furthermore, Cai Zhisong's use of material gives his sculptures a modern feel. Choosing from a wide range of different materials available today from traditional to high tech, he develops a distinctive style, in which thin sheets of metal are applied to a skeleton of reinforced glass-fiber resin, sometimes overlaying the metal sheets further with other materials. Rather than building a smooth surface, the many small sheets overlay each other creating a patchwork pattern which, although barely visible, is one of the distinct characteristics of Cai Zhisong's style.
The Custom to Motherland series consists of several smaller figures clothed in habitual costumes of the Han and Qin periods but like the Ode to Motherland series they are far from being mere sentimental reproductions of traditional sources, but instead possess a great actuality and lively presence. Although Custom to Motherland No.1 is one of the smaller of Cai Zhisong's sculptures it at the same time proves one of the most impressive. The small body of an ancient warrior bends down, tired and exhausted. His arms hang down and his head bends forward. His whole posture seems as if he carries a heavy weight on his shoulders while he carefully sets one foot in front of the other. Even his dress seems crushed and crumpled by some exterior force weighing heavily on the delicate figure. Flat and even without much expression, the eyes barely visible and the wide mouth only slightly opened, the closed, stoical face contrasts the expressive emotions of the body.
Another piece of the same series, Custom to Motherland No. 2, shows the just under life-sized figure of an ancient warrior kneeling down in a pose of supplication. Again the figure seems delicate and fragile. Cai Shisong's masterly use of the material emphasizes the fragility of the figure, as in the way the lead sheets are creased to follow the movement of the figure or the careful arrangement of the lead wires to form the figure's ornate hairstyle. The visibility of the back of the figure's head and neck under the aggressive looking hair-adornment also add to the figure's vulnerability. Despite the perfect symmetry of the figure's pose the sculpture remains full of tension. Looking down on the sculpture, the viewer may wonder to whom it bows and the reason for its gesture, thus forming an intimate dialogue between the artwork and the viewer.
The often deferring, subservient poses of Cai Zhisong's figures seem to mourn the loss of history and cultural identity of the present age. However they also convey more general ideas about the hardships of life, evoking feelings that every viewer can relate to.
Cai Zhisong's non-figurative work can also be read in the context of his interest in China's cultural heritage and traditional values. His Refinement to Motherland series presents a new evaluation of Chinese culture reproducing typically Chinese items in unusual materials.
Such sculptures that recall Chinese culture include Refinement to Motherland No.1, which resembles a traditional Chinese screen made out of steel plates commonly used for industrial purposes. Created out of leaden planks joined together with brass wires in the way of bamboo scrolls traditionally used to record history. Refinement to Motherland No. 2 resembles the bamboo scroll so far that the lead construction can even be rolled. The third piece in this series, Refinement to Motherland No. 3 consists of ultra thin lead sheets cut like traditional Chinese scrolls held by brass wires instead of threads. Only the shine of light and the structure of the material enliven the blank surface of these scrolls. Again the viewer may wonder if the blank surface and the absence of content refer to the loss of culture and subject matter in today's society. Or does Cai Zhisong merely want to shed new light on things that are taken for granted and thus don't seem to be appreciated anymore, and thus provoking people to think about these ancient items again?
