Cai Guo-Qiang

Snow Lotus No. 1

€5,500

Edition of 5084.4 (H) × 75.3 (W) cmFrame included

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Five years later, Cai Guo-Qiang returns with explosive reflections on love and resilience.

The inspiration for Cai’s gunpowder paintings on glass and mirror came from childhood recollections of traditional Chinese mirror paintings. Each one traps an explosion of pigment between two fragile planes – a balancing act of control and chaos.

Capturing the layered and illusory quality of the original artwork presented a new challenge for printmakers at Make-Ready in London. Snow Lotus No. 1 was disassembled for the first time since its creation and documented in two parts. This formed the basis of a layered printing process – allowing the traces of gunpowder left by each explosion, and their effect when combined, to be replicated perfectly.

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Cai Guo-Qiang2 collaborationsCai Guo-Qiang is a living icon, an Old Master of our time. His pioneering firework events and explosion paintings have brought Cai (and gunpowder) to the summit of the contemporary art world. Cai first experimented with explosives in the 1980s as a young Chinese artist living in Japan. He merged his skill as a painter with the lawless mark of explosion by firing rockets at his canvases and lighting gunpowder from underneath them – a technique he still uses today. Invented in China by ancient alchemists, gunpowder is a symbol of both celebration and destruction. It's an integral part of traditions in Chinese celebration but also evokes the violence of The Cultural Revolution that Cai grew up in. Beyond history, Cai has a spiritual connection to gunpowder: "I do get somewhat nervous, but in the moment of ignition, it seems to go beyond nerves, becoming an energy that is sudden, spiritual and also cosmic. A feeling of the invisible world is sparked within that instant."

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Reviews from Avant collectors

awesome experience all around, kudos to you all!
Review of Sierra
The work is exceptional and looks fantastic. Thanks for doing a beautiful job executing and shipping it, very much appreciated.
Review of Actual Size
Very smooth transaction. The piece is beautiful. Can;t wait to get it framed.
Review of Guardian
beautiful print. top notch
Review of Digital Chemicals
Great service overall, makes an easy process for buying and shipping art which is typically difficult and expensive.
Review of Guardian
so impressed with packaging! stunning print!
Review of Inner Love
It's awesome! The artwork quality is superb! I really really loved everything you did - the gloves, the totem bag, the letter... amazing! Thanks so much!
Review of Guardian
great experience & top notch prints!! i could not be happier with Avant Arte!!! Thanks so much!
Review of Maya & Interior

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