Nature’s Call: The Tree that Rewrote Time and Space (🇬🇧)
Nearly nine years ago, on an early afternoon, I stood by a roadside in Beijing. Spring was in its early stages, the trees and ground were showing subtle indications that a new warmer season was approaching. As I stood there, my attention was captivated by a seemingly ordinary tree along the street.
Objectively, there was nothing extraordinary about the tree; it was one of many trees neatly planted in a straight line along the road. However, subjectively, my experience was far from ordinary. This tree seemed to call out to me, not with a voice but more like as if a gravitational force was pulling me toward it. I felt a profound connection, as if my entire being and body were merging with the tree. Time lost its usual meaning during this moment—I might have stood there for 20 minutes or just 2; I couldn't tell. In that instance, my perception of time and space vanished.
Eventually, I redirected my attention to other surroundings, and suddenly everything appeared and felt remarkably alive. The sun's reflection on the paved road, the sounds of birds and cars in distance, the wind brushing against my face—everything became more vibrant and beautiful.
For several days, I maintained this altered state of awareness. However, after two weeks, I noticed it gradually slipping away. My mind that had been so quiet gradually became cluttered with thoughts, and the world around me no longer seemed as magical. Slowly, I reverted to my usual self. Yet, not entirely. The memory of this unique experience lingered, creating a distinct divide between the person I was before and after that moment.
In composing this text, I contemplated the artworks I shaped during that period, recognizing notable shifts. It was during that time I started incorporating space into my figures—an endeavor seemingly reversing the traditional sculpting process. Rather than adding and building something from nothing, I delved into subtraction. Within the space once occupied by a body, I intricately carved voids into my figures, a practice I still cherish. Often trying to push the materials boundaries, determining how much I can remove while preserving the physical form. It evolves into a delicate dance between creation and destruction, merging two opposing forces within a singular human body.
Below, I've chosen a few artworks created during the time of this profound experience. As I looked back on the art I created around that time, particularly striking to me is the wooden sculpture featuring beaches—a nearly literal representation of my encounter. What adds an intriguing layer is that I crafted this sculpture a year before the experience occurred.
