Huang Zhen has long been fascinated by the “special spirit” of Chinese ink paintings. Landscapes, often more symbolic than realistic, were vehicles for reflection on man’s relationship with the universe. The masters of the xiey ink painting style used apparently spontaneous brush strokes to convey their inner state at the moment of painting. Huang Zhen wanted to take these traditions further and create “a 3D version of landscape painting”. To do so, he chose a material that seems distinctly unsuited to either “free expression” or the depiction of tree-clad mountains and valleys. Thin, stiff and wayward, steel wire could hardly be less fluid. Yet the artist—wearing protective gloves and using pliers and clamps—learned over months of trial and error to twist it into the massive yet delicate forms he wanted. Doing so required him to control the wire, but also submit to its eccentric nature.

The White Rabbit Collection is one of the world’s most extensive and significant collections of contemporary art from China. With a focus on works created since the year 2000, the Collection contains almost 3,000 works by over 750 artists and continues to expand. Note that when you click on the link below you will be forwarded to the White Rabbit Collection website.

Explore the work of Huang Zhen in the collection database