In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art, symbolism is a powerful language often adopted by artists to express complex concepts, concerns, hopes and desires through images that transcend the limitation of verbal expression and material perception. As the world becomes more interconnected and diverse, contemporary artists adopt symbolism as an instrument to break away from cultural boundaries and represent universal human experience, while expressing intangible emotions. The solo exhibition “Vanishing Boundaries”of internationally acclaimed artist Cai Zhisong’s Oriental Aesthetics Series Exhibition explores the way the artist makes use of symbols, allegories and metaphors to convey meanings other than the literal and to establish a bridge between the seen and the unseen.
The works of Cai Zhisong reflect the fascination of the artist for ancient times, classical Chinese culture and traditional values. His source of inspiration stems from the reinterpretation of traditional spirit, from the exploration of philosophical principles and from his concern for nature and human suffering.
His visual repertoire is populated by a wide range of images spanning animals, plants, flowers, warriors, clouds and other natural elements: if, on the one hand, his works are created with a great emphasis on details and with a strong formal rigour, almost achieving a hyperrealist representation, on the other hand they are also characterized by symbolic connotations pivotal in suggesting the artist’s conception about the relationship between nature and humans. While emphasizing the naturalistic visualization of forms, Cai Zhisong’s works also function as metaphorical images which reference a transcendental meaning that goes beyond the visible reality: roses represent love and the fragility of life, clouds represent life and freedom, warriors embody righteousness and ancient wisdom. Red- crowned cranes and sika deer, symbolizing spirituality, grace and elegance, represent the virtues and the moral qualities of ancient Chinese literati and intellectuals, thus embodying the spirit of Chinese traditional culture. These mysterious and fascinating animals in the collective imagination are also associated with folk deities, namely Fu, Lu, Shou, Xi, who symbolize luck, success, longevity and happiness respectively and reflect the focus of the artist on spiritual dimension rather than on material realm.
In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art, symbolism is a powerful language often adopted by artists to express complex concepts, concerns, hopes and desires through images that transcend the limitation of verbal expression and material perception. As the world becomes more interconnected and diverse, contemporary artists adopt symbolism as an instrument to break away from cultural boundaries and represent universal human experience, while expressing intangible emotions. The solo exhibition “Vanishing Boundaries”of internationally acclaimed artist Cai Zhisong’s Oriental Aesthetics Series Exhibition explores the way the artist makes use of symbols, allegories and metaphors to convey meanings other than the literal and to establish a bridge between the seen and the unseen.
The works of Cai Zhisong reflect the fascination of the artist for ancient times, classical Chinese culture and traditional values. His source of inspiration stems from the reinterpretation of traditional spirit, from the exploration of philosophical principles and from his concern for nature and human suffering.
His visual repertoire is populated by a wide range of images spanning animals, plants, flowers, warriors, clouds and other natural elements: if, on the one hand, his works are created with a great emphasis on details and with a strong formal rigour, almost achieving a hyperrealist representation, on the other hand they are also characterized by symbolic connotations pivotal in suggesting the artist’s conception about the relationship between nature and humans. While emphasizing the naturalistic visualization of forms, Cai Zhisong’s works also function as metaphorical images which reference a transcendental meaning that goes beyond the visible reality: roses represent love and the fragility of life, clouds represent life and freedom, warriors embody righteousness and ancient wisdom. Red- crowned cranes and sika deer, symbolizing spirituality, grace and elegance, represent the virtues and the moral qualities of ancient Chinese literati and intellectuals, thus embodying the spirit of Chinese traditional culture. These mysterious and fascinating animals in the collective imagination are also associated with folk deities, namely Fu, Lu, Shou, Xi, who symbolize luck, success, longevity and happiness respectively and reflect the focus of the artist on spiritual dimension rather than on material realm.