Stainless steel and copper sculpture Edition: EA-1

147 × 100 × 33 cm. 57 7/8 × 39 3/8 × 13 in. (artwork); 2.5 × 85 × 85 cm. 1 × 33 1/2 × 33 1/2 in. (base)

Signed in Chinese, dated and numbered on the side of the stand
EXHIBITED
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

Note: This work is from an edition of six, including two artist's proof editions, and the edition number of this piece is the first one of artist's proof


Turn Heart Into An Arrow, Gain Momentum and Leap
Debut of Zheng Lu's Bow Without An Arrow series

The sculptor Zheng Lu graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2007 with a master's degree in sculpture. During his time at school, he won the “LVMH Young Artist Award” and went to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris for further studies. He developed seal-character works made of stainless steel and welded, perfectly combined calligraphy, literature and philosophy and formed a unique sculpture style. Since 2009, he has successively published series of creations such as Drenching, Reading Empty, and Bow Without An Arrow. With the dramatic beauty of both form and meaning, he has transformed the ancient Chinese characters into a new artistic re-creation. The works are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and have been collected by institutions such as the National Grand Theater of China, Suzhou Museum, UBS Group, and Shanghai Long Museum.

Combination of Form and Mind, Showing the Majestic Life Force

The Book of Rites says: “Shooting seeks right to the self.” As one of the six arts, “shooting” has been regarded as the ability to show the gentleman's style and measure oneself since ancient times. Zheng Lu came into contact with the Western archery in 2008. During his studies, he deeply realized the differences in the understanding of archery between Chinese and Western cultures. In the West, archery is competitive, while in Eastern thinking, archery is not a pursuit of winning or losing, but a kind of life state of “Pull a bow without an arrow; Achieve something by doing nothing”. This understanding prompted him to create the Bow Without An Arrow series in 2011, which was published in a solo exhibition of the same name held in Taipei MOT/ARTS in the same year. This auction we bring the first work of the series, Bow Without An Arrow No.1.

In terms of form, the work uses the artist's most representative combination of form and meaning to weld the seal script text into a fluid form of a bowman, which allows it to carry the spiritual thought behind the characters, from outside to inside. It stretches the bowstrings back with both hands and stretches the feet forward to resist the copper arch back. The undulating curve of the human body forms an arrow that accumulates momentum. The hollow shape forms a moving line tension under the refraction of light and shadow. The thickness of the copper bow and the light posture of the stainless steel human body present a strong contrast, giving rise to a strong visual beauty of strength and softness.

Turn the Body into the Arrow, Use the Heart to Nail Down the Goal

“The shooting of “Kyudo”... is not a technique of using physical strength to shoot arrows, but a way of liberation that uses the spirit strength to shoot. This is the realm of the Zen of enlightenment and perception.”
——Zheng Lu

The work takes the name Bow Without An Arrow, and ideologically takes the allegorical meaning of “the unity of the bow and body; the shooting without shooting” in “Lie Zi”: If you can walk on a dangerous stone and still shoot arrows freely, and understand the Tao via the bow, you will reach the realm. Zheng Lu reflects this ancient and magnificent Eastern philosophy in his works. With hollow sculptures, the vigorous archery man presents a light and free posture. The smart shape not only reflects the tension of his momentum, but also strengthens its inner emptiness mentally. Because of forgetting the foreign objects, man can be transformed into a arrow, and the objects can be used for him, so as to achieve the great state of being one and pulling a bow without an arrow!

Price estimate:
HKD: 300,000 – 500,000
USD: 38,700 – 64,500

Auction Result:
HKD: 448,400