| Zheng Lu’s art can be defined as “interpreting non-existence.” “Interpretation” refers to “reading or reading aloud.” The sculptures are composed of Chinese characters from poems or passages, so as to establish the connection between the artistic charm of the poem or the passage and the theme of the work. “Non-existence” derived from the hollowed-out works’ visual feature, indicating the visual dissociation from the physical reality, and the “existence” of a hollow frame. “Emptiness,” carrying the meaning of “non-being” and “etherealness,” stresses the pursuit of intrinsic beauty of life, a concept particular to the East. Zheng’s works are comprised of welded stainless steel Chinese characters. |  |
Xia Yun
Zheng Lu’s art can be defined as “interpreting non-existence.” “Interpretation” refers to “reading or reading aloud.” The sculptures are composed of Chinese characters from poems or passages, so as to establish the connection between the artistic charm of the poem or the passage and the theme of the work. “Non-existence” derived from the hollowed-out works’ visual feature, indicating the visual dissociation from the physical reality, and the “existence” of a hollow frame. “Emptiness,” carrying the meaning of “non-being” and “etherealness,” stresses the pursuit of intrinsic beauty of life, a concept particular to the East.
Zheng’s works are comprised of welded stainless steel Chinese characters. Here Chinese calligraphy and the sculptures are complementary and interdependent. The Chinese calligraphy is known for its formal beauty, while the characters in Chinese literature generate rich connotations. In Zheng’s sculpture, words are used to explore means to communicate with nature, to experience the appeal of words, and to approach the core of emptiness. The physical existence of “words” “gains access to” our soul with the sculpture as a medium. Therefore, the appeal of words and their connotations are highlighted; “emptiness,” “hollowness,” “Yin,” and “Yang” are reflected as well. Wandering between “to be or not to be” and “to be fantasy or to be reality,” the illuminated works embody endless changes and possibilities.
The artist’s abiding love for Chinese calligraphy since childhood, his understanding of the perfect combination of poem, calligraphy, painting, and seal in traditional Chinese paintings, and of course, the inspiration from the harmony between the function and inscriptions on the bronze artifacts that recorded the Chinese civilization since the ancient time, constitute the basis for his sculptures that center on Chinese characters and their allure.
