Stainless steel and copper sculpture Edition: 3/4

168 × 112 × 49 cm. 66 1/8 × 44 1/8 × 19 1/4 in.（作品） 2.5 × 110 × 110 cm. 1 × 43 1/4 × 43 1/4 in. （底座）

Signed in Chinese, dated and numbered on the side of the stand
EXHIBITED (different editions)
5 Nov – 18 Dec 2011, Zheng Lu Solo Exhibition – Bow Without an Arrow, MOT/ARTS, Taipei

PROVENANCE
New Age Art Gallery, Taichung
MOT/ARTS, Taipei
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by New Age Art Gallery, Taichung

A Bow without an Arrow
Zheng Lu's Interpretation of Force and Beauty

Born in a literati family, Zheng Lu graduated from Lu Xun Fine Art Academy with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture in 2003 and later obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing. His sculptural techniques are proficient, and his skills are solid. During his master's study, Zheng Lu won the LVMH Young Artist Award and was able to go to The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris for further study and had the opportunity to view classical Western sculptures. He found the way of self-creation in the collision of eastern and western art and culture. Zheng Lu transforms the Chinese calligraphy that he has been immersed in since childhood into visual elements. He creatively uses the Chinese characters of traditional poems and songs and combines modern three-dimensional sculptures of stainless steel to form a unique creation technique. Since 2009, he has created Water in Dripping, Bow Without an Arrow, and other series, giving new vitality to the ancient traditional culture with his ingenious thinking, which domestic and abroad art lovers widely favour. He has held many solo exhibitions at the Long Museum in Shanghai, the National Museum of China, the Musée Maillol in Paris, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei. National Centre has collected his works for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Suzhou Museum, UBS Group, Shanghai Long Museum, etc.

Poetic Beauty for Omitting an Arrow

The artwork Bow Without an Arrow No.3 is a rare double-figure sculpture in Zheng Lu's Bow Without an Arrow series, which is a testament to his mature and brilliant creativity. This work is a bow without an arrow, but with two male and female figures as the fulcrum to pull the bowstring. The two become one like a couple of lovers. The man bows his head and puts his arms around the woman's waist to retain her. The woman bends down to open the bow, floating like a fairy. They together complete the action of opening the bow. From the powerful legs and insteps to the woman's elegant bending back, their body lines are full of dynamic life-breath, reflecting Zheng Lu's superb human body construction skills.

The endless Chinese characters constituting the main body are from a poem from a famous Song Dynasty poet Su Shi called Water Dragon Chant Following Zhang Zhifu's Verse on Willow Catkins. This harmonic rhyme reveals the longing of missing lovers. Hollowed-out characters not only add a poetic lyrical trait but also reflect shining light under irradiation, making this sculpture get out of the image of stainless steel's hard and heavy. The two bodies are shining brilliantly, like newborn cicada wings, with countless glittering reflective surfaces like crystal. Compared with the simple bow joined by nails and full of engineering aesthetics, the human bodies reflect an illusion of softness. Together, this work as a whole shows the diversified artistic expression techniques of the same media. This sculpture abandons the intense competitive meaning of archery and transforms its connotation into a kind of poetic Zen enlightenment with two ethereal characters. It reflects Zheng Lu's thoughts and introspection from his own experience on the art road. He used to say that life is full of confusion and helplessness, and he was just like a bow without an arrow to shoot. Along with constantly seeking and transitioning the state of mind, he already realized the classical Taoist philosophy of “not shoot is for shooting”: Abandon distractions and put down the purpose and utility. One can only achieve the greatest state by concentrating on the soul.

Price estimate:
HKD: 320,000 - 500,000
USD: 40,800 - 63,700

Auction Result:
HKD: --