The Poetry of Sculpture

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3 Wu Weishan The Poetry of Sculpture World Scientific NEW JERSEY LONDON SINGAPORE BEIJING SHANGHAI HONG KONG TAIPEI CHENNAI

4 Published by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. 5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite , Hackensack, NJ UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wu, Weishan, [Diao su de shi xing. English] The poetry of sculpture / Wu Weishan. p. cm. ISBN (alk. paper) 1. Wu, Weishan, Sculptors--China--Biography. 3. Wu, Weishan, Aesthetics. I. Title. NB1049.W85A dc22 [B] British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Editors: Shang Rong Nanjing University Institute of Sculpture Art Bryan Low Chuen Chieh Translator: Titus Teo Ken Hian Designer: Ng Chin Choon Copyright 2008 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the Publisher. For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to photocopy is not required from the publisher. ISBN ISBN Printed in Singapore.

5 Foreword Rooted in ancient Chinese culture, and drawing inspirations from the great revolutions in Western art of the last two centuries, Wu Weishan forges no less a task for himself than to sculpt the very essence of Chinese civilization. From the serenity of the massive 老子 (Laotze) to the dark biting sharpness of 鲁迅 (Luxun), Wu Wei Shan searches again and again for the meaning of Chineseness throughout three thousand years of her long and complicated history. His sculptures strike a delicate balance between 神似 (likeness of spirit) and 形似 (likeness of form), a balance that is at the very foundation of the definition of art in China. I had once characterized Wu Weishan s pieces with three Chinese ideograms: 真纯朴 ; 真 (genuine, candid, real, essential, true), 纯 (pure, chaste, natural, ingenuous, honorable), 朴 (unostentatious, simple, modest, earthly). All of these characteristics exude abundantly from every piece of his sculptures, big or small. I believe Wu Weishan is destined to become one of the great sculptors of the 21st century. Yang Zhenning 扬振宁 14 March 2007

Contents Foreword Yang Zhenning Advancing towards a Boundless Universe

Picking Up Treasures from Old Bookstalls 27 4.

Eyes of Europeans 33 An Old Dutch Man s Special Affections for China

a Sculpture of the Queen of the Netherlands 41 Speech by F.J.M.

Governor of the Province of Noord-Brabant, at the

Speech by Wu Weishan at the Handing-Over-Ceremony 45 5.

6 Contents Foreword Yang Zhenning Advancing towards a Boundless Universe 7 1. Father and His Poems Spiritual Sketches Picking Up Treasures from Old Bookstalls The Country of Tulips 27 Global Village of Artists 30 China in the Eyes of Europeans 33 An Old Dutch Man s Special Affections for China 34 Playing Host in the Netherlands 37 The Screw on the Move 39 Making a Sculpture of the Queen of the Netherlands 41 Speech by F.J.M. Houben, Chief Representative of the Queen of the Netherlands and Governor of the Province of Noord-Brabant, at the Handing-Over-Ceremony of Sculpture of the Queen of the Netherlands 42 Speech by Wu Weishan at the Handing-Over-Ceremony Pursuing Dreams in Paris 45 Standing in Front of Mona Lisa 46 Close Up with Auguste Rodin 48 The Lessons from Horse 50 An Instant Moment Can Also Be Eternal

53 6. Crossing the Pacific 53 Holding Exhibitions in San Francisco

Stars 65 Visiting Son in the U.S. 69 A Strange Encounter at the Museum Rumination on Works 71 7.

Sculptures Do Not Cater to Westerners An interview after winning

Professor Wu Weishan Anthony Stones 95 8.

Boisterous Hong Kong 110 Heaven and Earth and Affections between

Weishan's Sculptures and Paintings Woo Chia-wei 113 The Symbol of

7 53 6. Crossing the Pacific 53 Holding Exhibitions in San Francisco 58 The Bridge Is Only That Long 61 Robin s World 63 Avenue of the Stars 65 Visiting Son in the U.S. 69 A Strange Encounter at the Museum Rumination on Works Full Moon in Britain 71 The Sleeping Child Wins the Award 78 My Sculptures Do Not Cater to Westerners An interview after winning the Pangolin Award Xue Longchun and Shang Rong 86 Sculptures by Professor Wu Weishan Anthony Stones The Season of Cherry Blossoms 95 Holding Exhibitions in Tokyo 97 Inexpressible Emotions Tom. M Aoyama 98 A Challenger of the Modern Soul Saburo Kosugi Boisterous Hong Kong 110 Heaven and Earth and Affections between Mother and Son 112 Wu Weishan's Stint at HKUST Foreword of Wu Weishan's Sculptures and Paintings Woo Chia-wei 113 The Symbol of Chinese Culture Speech at the Unveiling Ceremony of Qian Mu s Sculpture 115 The Pinnacle Display of Portrait Sculpture King Yeo-chi

Speech by Yang Zhenning at the Unveiling Ceremony of His Sculpture in Tsinghua University (May 2004) 135 Speech by Yang Zhenning at the

the Soul with the Literary Heart Exhibition of Wu Weishan s Sculptural Works 137 2.

A Name Remembered throughout Generations Impressions of 100-year-old Gu Yuxiu 151 4.

Knowledge of Self Is Wisdom Wu Weishan 171 5. An Oriental Old Sage 172 Promoting Chinese Culture, Creating a New Era of Sculpture 175 6.

8 Sculpting the Times Extraordinary Character Sculpting a Portrait of Yang Zhenning 133 Reading Wu Weishan s Candour, Purity and Simplicity Yang Zhenning 134 Speech by Yang Zhenning at the Unveiling Ceremony of His Sculpture in Tsinghua University (May 2004) 135 Speech by Yang Zhenning at the Unveiling Ceremony of His Sculpture in Nanjing University (October 2005) 136 Speech by Yang Zhenning at the Opening Ceremony of Casting the Soul with the Literary Heart Exhibition of Wu Weishan s Sculptural Works Talking about Form and Spirit with Pride and Exultance On the Spirit of Art by Fei Xiaotong A Name Remembered throughout Generations Impressions of 100-year-old Gu Yuxiu A Devoted Ox of Chinese Culture In memory of Xiong Bingming 162 Solidified History 166 Sculpting with Four Hands Xiong Bingming 168 Knowledge of Self Is Wisdom Wu Weishan An Oriental Old Sage 172 Promoting Chinese Culture, Creating a New Era of Sculpture Making a Sculpture of Lin Sanzhi Six Times The Humour of a Master Mathematician Chang Jian Sculpting Confucius Using Ancient Methods An Instant of a Peasant-Scientist The Form of Old Man Shanyuan Sculpting the Confident and Deep Xiao Xian The Soul of Similarity and Dissimilarity A Minute Detail Sculpting Wu Zuoren Sculptures of Cultural Notables

On Creating Freehand Sculpture 225 1. The Theory of Freehand Sculpting (Excerpt) 230 2.

Sculpture 231 I. Primitive, simple and unpolished imagery 232 II. Strange abstractness of the Shang dynasty 233 III.

Ideal modelling in Buddhism 239 VI. Realistic depiction of the customs of the Song dynasty 240 VII.

Sculpting the Spirit of the Times 253 4. The Soul of Western Han Dynasty Imageries in Wooden Sculptures 260 5.

Free Discussion on Sculpture Part 2: Vividness in Ambiguity 267 7.

9 On Creating Freehand Sculpture The Theory of Freehand Sculpting (Excerpt) My Views on the Characteristics and Styles of Chinese Sculptural Art Expounding the Eight Major Types of Ancient Chinese Sculpture 231 I. Primitive, simple and unpolished imagery 232 II. Strange abstractness of the Shang dynasty 233 III. Decorative and realistic depiction in Qin figurines 234 IV. Firm and vigorous freehandedness of the Han dynasty 237 V. Ideal modelling in Buddhism 239 VI. Realistic depiction of the customs of the Song dynasty 240 VII. Form exaggeration in imperial mausoleums 241 VIII. Expression of simplicity among the people Sculpting the Spirit of the Times The Soul of Western Han Dynasty Imageries in Wooden Sculptures Free Discussion on Sculpture Part 1: Rumination on Comparison Free Discussion on Sculpture Part 2: Vividness in Ambiguity Free Discussion on Sculpture Part 3: Viewing Sculpture beyond Ambiguity From Clay to Bronze The Primitive Spirit in Modern Sculpture The Poetry of Sculpture Speech at the UNESCO Centre of Macau and University of Macau Tradition and Innovation Speech at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Pictures of Freehand Sculptures

10 Appendix A Collection of Comments and Short Reviews 334 Boutros Boutros-Ghali Former Secretary-General of the United Nations 335 Johannes Rau Former President of Germany 339 Jiang Shusheng Chairman of Central Committee of China Democratic League and Former President of Nanjing University 340 Jin Shangyi Chairman of China Artists Association and Painter 342 Fan Di an Director of the National Art Museum of China and Art Critic 344 Wang Wenzhang President of the China Art Academy 346 Yuan Yunpu Professor of Qinghua University and Artist 347 Shao Dazhen Professor of China Central Academy of Fine Arts and Art Critic 348 About Wu Weishan 350 Postscript

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