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BOWERS MUSEUM

East West Bank Gallery

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This is an exhibition of twos: two mediums, two artists and a series of cycles endlessly alternating between binaries like death and rebirth. For thousands of years craftsmen have used gold and jade to create decorative and functional objects which often speak to these themes. In the modern day, Taiwanese artists continue to fashion artworks which explore new and evolving ways to use the pure and vivacious mediums. This exhibition showcases two outstanding Taiwanese artists: Wu Ching, a sculptor who shapes intricate carvings in wood which he translates to gold using a mold; and Huang Fu-shou, whose skill for jade carving allows him to create impossibly delicate sculptures.

Together the artists have practiced their crafts for a combined century, producing artworks which resonate with the symbolism of their respective mediums. The gold that Wu Ching works is a malleable, brilliantly yellow metal associated with enlightenment in the Buddhist tradition. The jade that Huang Fu-shou carves is not one but two stones: jadeite and nephrite. The latter was one of the primary interests of Confucius who wrote of its eleven virtues such as its benevolence and musical qualities.

As you walk one of the two paths through this exhibition, keep an open mind for the interplay of gold and jade as competing and, in some cases, symbiotic mediums in the depiction of sensory, environmental, and mortal themes; and discover how both Wu Ching’s gold and Huang Fu-shou’s jade share in creating legacies for their creators.

Treasures in Gold & Jade: Masterworks from Taiwan is presented by the Bowers Museum in cooperation with the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles, an arm of the Taiwan Ministry of Culture. Major Funding for this exhibition comes from East West Bank, Linda and Carl Moy, Anne and Danny Shih, Jennifer Chen and Alan Wong of Hsing Tai Color Printing Company, and Unipac Shipping. Additional funding is provided by Tony Zhang of Morgan Stanley, Nancy Xu, Zehra and George Sun, Diana and Fred Kong of the Kong Family Charitable Fund, and the Chinese Cultural Arts Council of the Bowers Museum.

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PROPERTIES OF GOLD

Gold has been prized by man for thousands of years because it is one of the few metals that can be found in its pure form in nature. It is also made valuable by its physical properties, including its rich yellow color, high degree of malleability which enables it to be easily bent and worked without fear of breaking, and ductility which allows one ounce of gold to be drawn into a wire a mile long. These properties render gold to be indestructible—it does not corrode or tarnish—and ensure the rare mineral’s classification as a noble metal.

PROPERTIES OF JADE

Jade is a general term for two very different materials: nephrite and jadeite. Nephrite has long been used in jewelry and carvings and is found in alluvial deposits throughout the world, including Big Sur, California. Jadeite was not discovered until the late 18th century in northern Burma. Even today, Burma is the only commercial source for this highly sought-after gemstone. Both Jadeite and
Nephrite are very tough and due to their interlocking crystalline structure resist being broken. However, they have a relatively low hardness, 6.5 on a scale of 10, which makes them easy to fashion into fine carvings.

GOLD

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Prosperous Descendants, Pure Gold 10000g, Bronze, 2016

Wu Ching recalls his childhood moments playing under the melon vines, and this memory inspired this piece’s prosperous scene. The melon vines grow along bamboo scaffolds made from bronze, with mantises, dragonflies, butterflies, ladybugs, ants, caterpillars and fruit flies on top. The piece exhibits the rich and diverse ecology of nature. Patiently grounded, stretched and assembled by hand, the bitter gourd’s long vines wrap around the branch. This piece consists of thousands of components in all sizes, which is made by using the “oxyhydrogen welding” technique at a high temperature before being assembled. The complex and exquisite craftsmanship makes the piece vibrant. The entire sculpture would have taken 10 years to complete if a person spends 8 hours a day on it, it is a rarely seen large-scale gold sculpture that requires complicated procedures and artistry to master.
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THE GOLD OF WU CHING

Growing up in the rural countryside of Taiwan, Wu Ching fell in love with the natural world at an early age. In fields and orchards, he discovered a language for complex human dramas in the microscopic interactions of insects. His first sculptural installation was a series of large carvings of ants, a motif which he would return to throughout his career. Concerned that his wood carvings would decay in time, Wu Ching transitioned to pure gold, a medium which never tarnishes. Though he still carves the original model in finely grained wood, it is only used to create a mold from which the final golden artwork is cast.

Wu Ching’s reveries on Buddhist teachings become didactics in his artworks. Freshly bloomed flowers and skeletal remains span the life cycle, the incorporation of plastic propones environmentalism, and in many cases his sculptures are only possible as the result of him introducing new technologies to gold working.

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G09Zen, Pure gold 65g, Silver, 1991

In Mandarin Chinese, cicada and Zen are both pronounced “chan”. Wu uses cicada as a homophonic pun to represent the state of Zen. Half of the insect is carved on the round sphere, but what about the other half? Is it inside or outside the sphere? Is it coming to this world or leaving this world? It seems cicada (蟬) and Zen (禪) are indistinguishable.

G09My Life, Pure gold 180g, Plastic, 1995

The little grass tries to disentangle itself from the layers of plastic. Although it has a strong vitality and overcomes challenges, it still yearns for a clean and pure environment to live a quality, beautiful life.

G09Parental Love, Pure gold 60g, Agate, 1989

The creative concept originated from the anthropomorphic interactions between ants. The mother ant feeds its child with maternal love. This is Wu Ching’s first gold carving sculpture.

G09Mantis Capturing Cicada, Pure gold 77g, Silver, 1995

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware that an oriole may be behind.
Let go, allow the cicada to return to the embrace of nature.

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G09Throb, Pure gold 150g, Silver, 1996

The Sixth Patriarch Master Huineng overheard two monks debating the reason why the temple flag was flapping, did the flag move or was it the wind? Master Huineng calmly replied, “it is not the wind nor flag that moved, it is your benevolent minds that moved.” Did the grass move? Or did the brick move? It is the benevolent mind that moved.

G09Water Frolic, Pure gold 298g, Stone, 1991

The small and large horsehair crabs faithfully represent the mysterious forms of nature. The surface of its hard shell is lumpy yet sophisticated with lifelike furry claws.

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G09I Need Soil, Pure gold 150g, Plastic, 1992

The small tree that should have grown freely in the nature, starts to lose its ability to spread and grow once trapped in the bottle. The bottle symbolizes pollution caused by humans. The small tree, although facing obstacles, still breaks through and strives to survive. This piece conveys that all things need pure soil to persevere and for life to continue and grow.

G09Sublimation, Pure gold 300g, Agate, 1990

The round sphere is a maternal body, with its larva growing in water. The water spirals up in the air to sublimate.

G09Mother and Son, Pure Gold 42g, Silver, 1995

Five small catfish are in the water, clinging on to the bones of their mother. Even separated by death, the connection between mother and children will always live on.

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Magical Lotus, Pure Gold 996g, Clay, 2016

Lotus blooms in the lotus pond, while a tadpole swims leisurely and a frog jumps around… all things enjoy the serenity of nature. The lotus pond is vividly carved as if water is flowing, the atmosphere is calm and compassionate.

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Reminiscences of Rustic Pleasures, Pure Gold 468g, Silver, Bronze, 2016

This piece includes over 500 ants and various insects, such as mantises, swallowtail butterflies, dragonflies and cicadas in all sizes; it is the epitome of nature’s ecology. The ants’ “home” is constructed by bronze branches, silver soil and ten ant colonies. In addition to the spawning queen and worker ants protecting her, there are also ants responsible for foraging, transporting, parenting, building and guarding. All of them are busy performing their individual duties. Some ants are secreting saliva to repair their colonies, while others communicate with each other. The lively and detailed work took three years to complete.

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Rustle of Grass in the Wind, Pure Gold 225g, Stone, 1991

Spring is the season of rebirth and a beginning for the continuation of life. The locusts mingle on blades of grass and chirp happily.

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G09New Year’s Orchid, Pure Gold 524g, Green Jade, 1991

The New Year’s Orchid always blooms during Lunar New Year. It announces the end of the old year and enters the new. Butterflies that notice the orchid’s scent, join to greet the coming spring.

G09The Bliss of the Dharma, Pure Gold 196g, Bronze, 1996

Wu Ching used himself as a model and carved out his crown to reveal the “bliss of perceiving serenity.” The butterflies are not butterflies, as they represent the realm of “truth, kindness, beauty and wisdom.” Wu only comprehended true bliss and insight once he experienced the mixed feeling of joy and grief. Being able to experience both joy and grief, Wu uses this sense of compassion as the main concept of his creation.

G09Mundane Affinity, Pure Gold 510g, Silver, 1995

Now petrified, the 10,000-year-old skeleton is still longing for the memories of the past. The skull’s seed of consciousness is planted and soon sprouts and blossoms. The amorous morning glory chooses to stay by the skeleton, always and forever.

G09Moth Orchid, Pure Gold 5600g, Agate, 1990

More lavish in gold, the lively moth orchid is depicted in a graceful pose. This challenging large-scale sculpture was made from scratch and required a mastery of techniques. Created based on careful observation and creativity, the work is both realistic and expressive.

JADE

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Rest, Jadeite

This is the end of the world.
There is a rare moment of beauty.
See the pure water and the resting butterflies.
Feel the purity of life.
Before nature is destroyed by humans, time is paused.
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THE JADE OF HUANG FU-SHOU

Huang Fu-shou began carving jade over 50 years ago. Since then, he has continued to hone his craft not just by sculpting, but by becoming an acute observer of the natural world he captures in stone. Insects float upon blades of grass as near photorealistic likenesses of their living selves, drops of dew cling to plants, and the veins of decaying autumn leaves form organic architectures. Were the artworks of Huang Fu-shou the first pieces of jade one ever laid their eyes on, they would never guess that the stone is cold to the touch, an unwieldy medium for carving, or near-impossible to mold into the paper thin leaves and wing membranes the artist achieves through painstaking hours in a studio.

Huang’s works pay homage to the slow, examined life. They accentuate the beauty of simple pleasures and are subtle in their complexities, all the while pushing the boundaries of what is possible with jade.

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Homeward, Jadeite

At the end of the day,
I make steps forward.
I’ve got the smell of sweat clinging to my body.
The smell of cooking flows and lingers along the way.
As the sunlight falls on shoulders at sunset,
I can see my own elongated shadow.
Another laborious and fulfilling day has passed.

A TRIBUTE TO AUTUMN

Once upon a time, it was just a rough jade stone.
It is the silence that has condensed for millions of years
…
Carving is the beginning of the conversation.
The sound of carving is the screaming for resisting the loss of oneself.
The jade can hardly stick to itself.
Even with a tough personality
It can be ground away little by little
It also touches the heart of the jade carver
If the jade carver is a little careless, the jade will break and the heart will be broken.
When they go from resistance to harmony, the heart and jade are combined into one
A dead leaf falls into eternity.

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G09A Tribute to Autumn, Series 08, Nephrite

G09A Tribute to Autumn, Series 10, Nephrite

G09A Tribute to Autumn, Series 9, Nephrite

G09A Tribute to Autumn, Series 13, Nephrite

G09A Tribute to Autumn, Series 1, Nephrite

G09A Tribute to Autumn, Series 6, Nephrite

G09A Tribute to Autumn, Series 11, Nephrite

G09A Tribute to Autumn, Series 7, Nephrite

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The Cicada Sound, Nephrite

The cicadas’ chirp becomes poetry.
It is an eternal, noble and pure and bright melody.
From the moment cicadas break out of soil.
they become singers and poets.
“As they ascend to the high place, their sounds are spread far and wide, even without the help
of the autumn wind.”
From the day they break out of their cocoons and stretch out their wings to fly, they are destined to become the eternal legends within a few days.

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Dance Together, Nephrite

We step on the notes in your and my hearts
Our steps become parallel and staggered
Each and every step is full of love
As the words of love are whispered a beautiful landscape is composed.

G09Kingfisher, Nephrite

A touch of green color stands by the pool.
As the fish swim freely.
Suddenly, a fin flap breaks the water’s surface.
It is so accurate and fast
That only ripples and a green afterglow are reflected on the surface of the pool.

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G09Is It a Dream? Or a Butterfly?, Jadeite

The butterfly is flying.
Dream is indistinguishable from reality.
Suddenly, the butterfly breaks free to pursue freedom.
Becoming a butterfly and something more.
Like a bursting soul.
And it never changes.

G09Silence without Dust, Nephrite

Is it a Bodhi Tree or not? We do not know.
Is it a Lucid Mirror or not? We do not know.
It is like a fantasy. And it doesn’t feel real or surreal.
We can sense either life or death.
We can see, hear and think about the undisturbed purity and the silence without dust.

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Dance for Summer, Jadeite

The cicada remains dormant for years just to sing over the entire summer.
The cicada is like me, and I am like the cicada.
We remain calm and focused, waiting for the moment to break out of the soil, and sing for the brightest color of life.

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Signs of Spring, Nephrite

The warm wind sends out the sweet smell of the flower buds.
We can’t keep that insatiable scent out.
Tasting a hint, my mouth is filled with sweetness.
With the bees, the green plants, the spring sunlight, and the living beings...
Timeless beauty naturally flows out from everything.

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Heart Gate, Nephrite

In the chain, one link comes after another
Suddenly, over the dark night, it is tied to the heart
The whole body becomes frozen and silent
And it still longs for the warm light outside the door
Drawing a little bit of strength from the gap, it awaits the moment to break through the door

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Drops of Dew, Nephrite

Every big lake and sea is formed from individual drops of water.
Every drop of water is the source of life
It nourishes the beings and listens to the earth.
Only when we return to simplicity.
Can we savor the taste of life.

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Jump, Nephrite

I am moving forward in the journey of life without fear and without looking back.
Life is like a tragic and beautiful poem.
It is not a fate but a symphonic poem that is infinite and touching.

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Follow your Heart, Nephrite

Listening to the gloom bound in my heart.
Its thriving power is making the endless noise.
The plasticity and inflexibility of jade.
The possibilities and impossibilities of desire.
When the dull light becomes bright.
The rope is no longer a rope.
But the true power to move people forward

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Wind Blowing, Nephrite

The wind whispers.
We can hear its message.
It comes and goes without a trace.
But it leaves a lingering life story.
It blows into your heart.
It can be the warmest and the coldest ever.
It has emotions, but it also looks ruthless.
I see!
The wind never stays for anyone.
At the moment it passes over everything, time stops.

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Interesting, Nephrite

Green leaves sway.
The ant and mantis are locked in playful battle.
Suddenly there is a lucky kick.
But they go round after round
Until they say, “let’s do it next time!”

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Rescued from Desperation, Nephrite

The day it all fell to ruins
Was a day of sadness and silence.
Green shoots are tough and thrive quietly in cracks.
Rubble and broken tiles become nutrients of life.
The green shoots have grown into towering trees as symbols of life.

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Green Frogs in the Autumn, Jadeite

The autumn wind rustles.
On the withered lotus leaves,
The jewel-like green frog sounds brighten the autumn
That breathes life into the bleak atmosphere immediately.
This is a surprise in autumn.
Fascinating colors are displayed through the sounds of frogs and images of butterflies.

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Soliloquy in the Wind, Nephrite

The wind blows the grass, and everywhere
We can hear the song of life season after season
Hold your breath and keep it
The quiet whispers turn into the wind and the universe

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Soft Whisper, Nephrite

Softly murmur.
Listen to every single word.
Talk about trivial things.
Everywhere I look around.
The bits and pieces of life.

WU CHING’S GOLD |
HUANG FU-SHOU’S JADE

While jade and gold are very different, Wu Ching and Huang Fu-shou use their respective mediums to explore many of the same themes. More than just impressive displays which challenge what is possible with metal and stone, the nuanced selection of works speak to two lifetimes of grappling with complex philosophical topics.

Almost every sculpture in the exhibition delves into an individual’s relationship to nature, one another, and oneself. Animals drawn from both gold and jade illustrate the artists’ analogies for environmentalism, familial relationships, and the ephemerality of time. Environmentally focused works like My Life and I Need Soil use mixed media inclusions to juxtapose human waste with golden plants. In Huang Fu-shou’s Rescued from Desperation, a plant breaking through the surface of a rectilinear, man-made form illustrates both the damage that we are doing to nature and its resiliency to humanity’s concrete world. Other jade sculptures are tied to a fear of environmental collapse through their associated poems. As a corollary interest to nature, both artists depict the phases in never-ending cycles of endings and new beginnings. Between the budding energy of Signs of Spring, the fond summer memories evoked by Prosperous Descendants, the decay of leaves in A Tribute to Autumn and finally New Year Orchid; the two artists’ work depicts all four seasons.

Wu Ching’s works are deeply rooted in Buddhist doctrine and follow the sensory pleasures of his childhood all the way to the dawning of his spiritual enlightenment. Huang Fu-shou roots his work in poetry, almost every carving speaking to an unchanging or cyclical natural world and a metamorphosizing self. Both have found a legacy in their mediums that will long outlive them: Wu Ching with his never-tarnishing gold sculptures and Huang Fu-Shou with his nigh unbreakable jade carvings.

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