Heroes 'steel' the show

SINGAPORE - The drumsticks may be clenched in his hands, but the bronze warrior is otherwise a picture of resolute repose.

He has chosen to turn his back on the war drum and avert the gaze of the world; the feud has been fought and resolved, not on the battlefield, but in his heart.

This sculpture, titled Quiet Strength, is an apt embodiment of a new series of works by Chinese sculptor Ren Zhe, which channels the fortitude and tenacity of heroes.

A group of 18 bronze and stainless steel works by the 30-year-old artist is on display at the gallery of the School of the Arts. The works are priced for sale at between $17,000 and $250,000.

Ren's latest works are a continuation of a previous series of warrior sculptures that were shown here in 2011.

For the artist, the figures represent a noble spirit rather than violence and they meld folklore with an aesthetic language inspired by everything from classical Greek sculptures to Asian martial-arts forms.

This set of sculptures, however, spurn the vigorous stance of the previous series. Instead, the warriors strike poses that evoke a sense of tranquillity and convey the resilience of man's inner state of mind.

Ren, who was in town last week for the opening of the show, says in Chinese: "We live in a time of relative peace, but the warrior spirit is still present, for example, in the daily struggles of the ordinary man."

This fighting spirit is familiar to the Beijing-born artist, who grew up in military barracks; his mother worked in the army, his father was a national athlete.

In his pursuit of art as a career, he too has had to arm himself with a never- say-die attitude.

"I did not come from a family of artists and, like most other parents, mine had hopes that I would choose a stable profession and lead a normal life," he says.

"To them, being an artist is not a normal way of making a living."

But he says his parents respect his choice and are supportive of his artistic pursuit. He graduated from the department of sculpture at Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts and Design.

He adds: "They also stopped objecting after they saw me do well as an artist."

His sculptures are found in the collections of institutions such as the National Art Museum of China, as well as private collectors. The works in this exhibition also stand out for their scale.

The sculptures are generally a few metres tall with the largest piece measuring almost 3m in height and length and weighing about 750kg. The latter required almost five months to complete by hand.

Ren, who is married with a son, views the challenge of making these monumental pieces as a way of pushing himself artistically.

He says: "There is a Tang poem that talks about how when one gets to the top of a high mountain, the lower mountains nearby appear small.

"For me, however, the journey is not a competition with others, but with myself and I believe there is always a higher peak to scale."

lijie@sph.com.sg

View It

Ren Zhe: Above Clouds

Where: School of the Arts, ground floor gallery, 1 Zubir Said Drive
When: Till Saturday, noon to 8pm daily
Admission: Free

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