Liu Ruo Wang

Share

Share

Add fave

About the artwork

Based on the old tragic story ‘狼来了’ (The wolves are coming), Liu Ruo Wang sculpted 110 individual wolves and 1 warrior fending them off. The wolves appear aggressive, with their intimidating teeth exposed and purposefully rusted bodies. They are met with confrontation in a tense atmosphere as the warrior holds a long sword in his hand, ready to attack the wolves. This work draws parallels to China’s art community, exhibiting the relationship between artists and China’s development. The wolves surge towards the warrior, just like how reforms in China have forced new policies and implications going against artists and the people’s integrity. It is seen as an unidentified crisis, as opposition may seem viable, but would soon be inadequate to deal with the threats, just like how the warrior faces 110 wolves with no chance of victory. They are hopelessly outnumbered, and this work displays itself as an artist’s call for personal power and individual spirit.

About the artist

Born in 1970 in Shaanxi, China, Liu Ruo Wang creates art that touches on an immense array of cultural elements, while remaining firmly rooted in a personal journey through time and struggle. Turning a childhood of myth and folklore into a representation of the Chinese spirit, the artist chooses to glorify the ordinary man by presenting him as a an emblem of solidarity, tying together bands of soldiers in distinctly Eastern colour, texture and form. A coalescence of nostalgia and tribute, the artist immortalizes his roots, subtly making reference to the history and significance that form the rich heritage behind the industrialized modernity of his people. Widely established and exhibited, the artist’s works are collected by numerous prestigious institutions in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, France, Italy, New Zealand and the USA.