Sculptor Wang Wenhai's passion and love for
Chairman Mao has given birth to thousands of
sculptured images of the great Chinese
leader.
Many of the works are unconventional: Mao as
Buddha, as a lady, and as a comfortable pillow
to rest on.
These works would have put Wang in serious
trouble during the tumultuous years of the
"cultural revolution" (1966-76) but Wang says
there is always a noble reason behind each
artistic expression.
One of his recent works is a Mao portrait
with many eyes painted on the body of a bell.
That was Wang's reflection of Mao, in today's
money-oriented society.
Wang, 55, started to craft sculptures of
Chairman Mao in the early 1970s and has been a
devotee to Mao all of his life.
Born in Central China's Henan Province, Wang
moved with his father to Yan'an, Shaanxi
Province in the 1960s. Yan'an was the cultural
bed of the Chinese revolution and the final
destination of the Long March.
Wang became a guide for the Yan'an
Revolutionary Museum after his graduation from
college in the early 1970s. Since then he has
developed an intimate and special relationship
with Mao expressed through his art.
He is known by his friends as the King of
Clay Sculpture because of his prolific efforts.
This weekend is the last chance to catch Wang's
interesting collection at the Margin Art Space
at 798 Art Zone. The exhibition closes on Monday
(July 31).
Margin Art Centre, 798 Art Zone, 11am-6:30pm,
everyday except Mondays till July 31.