Amateur
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.
Margin Art Centre, 798 Art Zone, 11am-6:30pm,
everyday except Mondays till July
31.
|