I was recently in Chicago and happened upon the Contemporary Sculptures from China display in Millennium Park. The sculptures were created by four Chinese artists from different religious and educational backgrounds, but each artwork had common threads such as being inspired by traditional Chinese art, commercial culture, folk art, and industrial machinery.
Windy City Dinosaur was created by Sui Jianguo, professor and head of the Department of Sculpture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. The dinosaur is stamped with “Made in China” on its chest and represents the booming Chinese export economy.
Jia Shan Shi No. 46 by Zhan Wang symbolizes the adaptation of Chinese cultural tradition to today’s conditions and new aesthetics. Wang is a graduate of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and is famous for his stainless steel sculptures.
Chen Wenling created Valiant Struggle No. 11 and blends irony, satire, comedy, and fantasy into his work. He often combines human and animal figures in three-dimensional clusters.
The last sculpture by Shen Shaomin is named Kowtow Pump and was inspired by his growing up near one of China’s major oil fields.
If you’re headed to Chicago any time soon, definitely swing by and check them out.
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