Exhibition showcases diversity of young Chinese artists

Intertwined Power, Wu Jian'an, laser paper-cut, collage, 2015

Deeply inspired by Chinese tradition, the artist applies one of the most traditional Chinese art forms - paper cut, to present mythical figures from one of China's most historic books -The Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing), which is the course and origin of the ancient Chinese mythology, existing since the 4th Century BC. The artist uses "Xing Tian", a mythical figure from the books as the main element to create this collage consisting of more than 400 pieces of colorful laser paper-cuts. Originally, "Xing Tian" fought against the Supreme Divinity, not giving up even after he was decapitated. In the eyes of the artist, "Xing Tian" symbolizes traditional Chinese culture, which has been decapitated by the modern Western culture. The chopped head represents the lost Chinese culture and spirit. "Xing Tian", a fighter with indomitable spirit maintaining the will the resist to the very end, stands in sharp contract with the cultural changes in today's China.