The Special Award of the Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław

 

Jiantang Wu  | China

 

Broken Branches in the Wild

woodcut | 2017 | 220 x 330 cm

 

A sense of unpredictability occurs between known visual patterns and a composition representing unknown object. A ‘dramatic’ conflict is caused between reality and illusion, with time and space superimposed on them. Individual memory, reminiscence and eagerness to imagine create a picture of magic realism. When creating this print, I was greatly inspired by The Dunhuang frescoes that are gems of ancient Chinese art. Besides, Caspar David Friedrich with his romanticism in art also provides the inspiration for my creation. In my work, the markings in the sky represent the interrelation between time and space consistent with the way it is presented in The Dunhuang frescoes, while the forms placed on the ground suggest "absurd reality" which we see in Friedrich's works.