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Galerie Loft

Le penseur

Wang Keping

  • Year : 1994
  • Material : Wood
  • Signature : Signature gravée
  • Editions : Pièce unique
  • Dimensions : 166 x 36 cm

EXHIBITION

1999 – Exhibition “Champs de la Sculpture” on the Champs-Élysées, Paris, France
2013 – Creation of the sculpture The Thinker (5 m) for the Al Maaden Sculpture Park, Morocco

Wang Keping is one of the most prominent members of the Xing Xing (Stars) group. This collective, which began attracting attention in 1978, was politically engaged and represents one of the very first expressions of the avant-garde in China.

His work in charred wood sculptures initially revolved around totems and idols reminiscent of folkloric tutelary figures from northern China and Korea, imbued with primitivism. Later, his practice shifted toward simple forms with pure lines and a limited choice of themes: women with chignons, kiss/couple, bird, male figure with a tail, pair of breasts. This process of simplification and progressive refinement sometimes leads to abstraction and, in the best cases, recalls the spirit of Constantin Brancusi’s work—an artist who greatly influenced him.

Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture (like several other sculptors at the time), Wang Keping created a large wooden portrait of François Mitterrand.

He was one of the invited artists at the exhibition “Champs de la Sculpture” on the Champs-Élysées in 1999, where he presented a group of monumental totems.

 

 

Artist

Wang Keping

Wang Keping

Wang Keping est l’un des membres les plus éminents du groupe Xing Xing, les Stars. Son travail de sculptures de bois, noircies par le feu, tourne tout d’abord autour de totems et d’idoles qui rappellent les figures tutélaires folkloriques du nord de la Chine et de la Corée, empreintes de primitivisme. Puis il s’oriente vers des formes simples aux lignes pures avec un choix restreint de thèmes : femmes à chignon, baiser/couple, oiseau, figure masculine à queue, paire de mamelles . La simplification et l’épuration progressive tourne pour certaines sculptures à l’abstraction et dans les meilleurs cas rappellent le travail de Constantin Brancusi dans son esprit, un artiste qui l’a beaucoup influencé.

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Works by the same artist