Cai Guo-Qiang was born December 8th, 1957 in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China. From the years 1981-1985 Cai Guo-Qiang trained in stage design at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. He developed a style of working with gunpowder and practiced his work over a span of 9 years within his hometown Quanzhou. These shows are usually site inspired and the beautiful display brings out the connection between nature and society. Not only does he work with gunpowder, but his work expands between multiple artistic mediums which include drawing, painting, installation, video, and performance art. His hard work and dedication to perfecting his art style has rewarded him with plenty of awards such as his most prominent coming in 2012, when he was honored as a Laureate for the prestigious Praemium Imperiale in the painting category. The award was bestowed by the Japanese royal family and recognizes lifetime achievement in the arts across categories not covered by the Nobel Prize. This is just one of the many prestigious awards Cai Guo-Qiang has received throughout his time. Cai Guo-Qiang is still working hard today as he is still winning awards as well as holding his own solo exhibitions.
Bibliography:
(“ABOUT the ARTIST • Cai Guo-Qiang”)
Picture Cited:
https://images.app.goo.gl/jKYwUagbCMXVwpb28
Sheri Lullo
What you’ll find about Cai Guoqiang is that he not only works in many mediums, but also addresses many interesting issues. He draws profoundly from Chinese philosophy and history, and also expands out to more universal themes like environmental issues or human rights. Your exhibition might survey all of these, or focus in on one specific theme or medium.