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

very professional service and great Comms throughout the process
Review of HOPE (251-375)
The work is absolutely stunning! The embossing, thick paper, it impressively captures Condo’s oil gestures and overall vibrance…
Review of Lost in Time
an amazing artwork. my second Tomas Sanchez. very happy to have it framed bu you. thank you.
Review of Inner Love
I am impressed how piece be packed and delivered. Thank you.
Review of Minority Rules
what an amazing experience from top to bottom. The best communication, print quality and packing. This is my first time purchasing from you and I look forward to my next purchase.
Review of Prismatic Head Composition
Always an amazing service from the team at Avant Art! Keep up the great work and collaborations.
Review of Study_for_Null_Portrait of someone#166
The piece arrived very safely packaged. We haven't yet had it framed, but I'm very excited to see it hanging in our space.
Review of Guardian
I absolutely love the textured details. The picture literally pops off the canvas and the floating frame encompasses those details perfectly. Amazing job by Jake Fried and the Avant Arte team! I'm excited for my next purchase.
Review of Open Eyes (Signal)

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