New Hong Kong protest sculpture by exiled Chinese artist to unveil in August
A new work of art inspired by the protest scenes and police brutality in Hong Kong is expected to be unveiled in August, near the sixth anniversary of the Umbrella Movement.
Chen Weiming, a Chinese-born sculptor who now lives in the United States, told Apple Daily that he is making a sculpture that symbolizes the support for Hong Kongers from mainland Chinese. Chen is known for his works that depict people’s struggle for democracy in China.
The work is comprised of five parts — “Revolution of Our Times,” “Peaceful Protests,” “Occupy Legislative Council,” “Police Brutality” and “Liberate Hong Kong.” It is expected to complete near the sixth anniversary of the Umbrella Movement, a three-month long occupy movement that is often regarded as the prelude of the current protests in Hong Kong.
Chen revealed four photos of the new work on his Twitter account as city-wide protests in Hong Kong entered their second year. He said he has been denied entry to Hong Kong after his sculptures Goddess of Democracy and Tiananmen Massacre — created to commemorate the 1989 crackdown — were displayed in the city.
The new work depicts protesters holding signages such as “Five demands, not one less,” “Stop violence,” and “No rioters, only tyranny.” Some are wearing protective gear often donned by protesters and one is stepping on a police shield.
“It is a great regret that I cannot hold protest banners on the streets of Hong Kong and use them to block the police’s tear gas. I can only make a sculpture in America to record the protests and to stand with the brave Hong Kongers,” he said.
Apart from his sculptures, Chen is known for establishing the Liberty Sculpture Park in California on a piece of land he bought near Highway 15. He erected a large-scale sculpture commemorating the crackdown of democratic protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989 in the park.
Chen graduated from the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts in Beijing, now the Academy of Arts & Design at the Tsinghua University. He has also been to Syria to join the civil war three times.
---------------------------------
Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app
To know more:
https://bit.ly/2yMMfQE Apple Daily mobile app latest version
DOWNLOAD NOW