ASSOC. PROF.
GUAN DONGHAI

Three Heroes, 2008
Kiln cast glass
55cm x 15cm x 28cm

I want my works to be powerful. I am seeking the elements which make up my works continually, forms and colours, to find a sense of power. From the ancient city gates or weapons I abstract this power to freely create my emotional expression. People may see the connection in my work to our traditions.

The small heads in my pieces are symbolic of China. The form is very typical, especially the hair knots on the top, and the face which comes from elements of ancient art, for example the king gang, the ancient wood-carved painting and ceramic figures. The group of heads on my ‘City Gate’ series is a symbol for a ‘group’ concept, with facial expressions of curiosity and anxiety looking at the world outside. It is also influenced by the internal environment, since the emperor used to cut off the criminal’s heads and hang them up on the gate wall.

‘City Gate’ is based on this concept during my latest working period. It could mostly satisfy my needs for the ‘power and strength’ I mentioned above, and for a certain situation I want to describe. I combine and rearrange different elements from this ancient subject and make an abstract form. If you are familiar with those Chinese ancient gates, you will notice that they have different forms compared with mine. They are relatively wider, overlapped with roofs. My gates are tall and the upper parts are square with a little round shape on both sides, which looks like shoulders. I found that this form has a lot of strength.

The power and dignity presented by an ancient city gate is closely related to its function as a guarding facility to separate, protect and reject, which eventually makes it a symbol for the overwhelming conservative power which kills human nature and wipes out individuality. People who live in this situation gradually become numb and helpless.

The colours I like to use in my work are red, yellow, blue, white and black, turquoise by the copper oxides and silver created by tin. These are the most original and primitive colours with the biggest strength.

In ancient China, it was very cruel to punishn the criminals. One of the punishments was to put the criminals’ head into a cage, hanging on the city gate showing to the people. The cage is used for the people’s subjugation, that makes the people lose their freedom. Placing the head of the killed into the cage was an extreme symbol of banning mental freedom of the people. Through a skillful technique, the glass head was put into a glass cage and this magic ‘impossible’ illusion helped to strengthen the theme of control.

Biography pdf

Guan Donghai