Jiang Shuo & Wu Shaoxiang
Great Jump 2 (Red, Big)
175x124x105cm
Bronze
Edition of 8
2013

"Artist: Jiang Shuo & Wu Shaoxiang, Title: Great Jump 2, Dimension:175x124x105cm, Media:Bronze , Edition: 8 of 8, Unique, Year:2013

Jiang Shou __ (b 1958)
Born in Beijing in 1958, Jiang Shou is widely recognized as a highly acclaimed and accomplished sculptor in the contemporary art scene. She studied sculpture at the Central Academy of Arts and Design from 1978 to 1982, now the Academy of Fine Arts under Tsinghu University, Beijing. She studied under the sculptor Professor Zheng Ke for three years, whereby through her creativity, talent and passion, she became the first sculptress in China to complete a post-graduate degree.
The trademark figure amongst Jiang ShuoÕs sculptures is noticeably the howling child-like guard adorn with a bluish-black Ôred guardÕ uniform. These sculptures are instantly recognizable by their gaping mouth and non descript faces, a reference to that tumultuous time in ChinaÕs history. The featureless face guard with an opened mouth shouting slogans is JiangÕs sarcastic illustration of the blind worshippers of Maoism during MaoÕs reign. Jiang portrays the laziness of the guard who does nothing but worshipping the ruler.
Using the red guard theme as a focus point, she juxtaposes the history of the cultural revolution with the observations on the state of contemporary society. The language and manner of these sculptures are derived from her own first hand personal experience of the cultural revolution, as well as her observations on the growing rationalization of contemporary thoughts. By incorporating Ômodern dayÕ elements and ideas from pop culture, Jiang Shou has ingeniously resurrected an old forgotten icon and adapted it into our modern times
Through humorous, ironic remarks and metaphoric symbolism that characterised Jiang ShouÕs sculpture, this further heighten the depth, ideological and philosophical implication of her works
Jiang has widely exhibited her sculptures around the world, including Austria, Indonesia, Singapore, and Switzerland. While many of her works are sold through galleries and at auctions in Beijing, Hong Kong, and New York, a large number of them are also included in major private or museum collections.

Wu Shao Xiang___ (b 1957)
Wu Shaoxiang was born in Jiangxi Province, China, in 1957. Following the Cultural Revolution, he studied sculpture at the Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute and later completed a postgraduate degree at the Central Academy of Arts and Design in Beijing.
A prominent figure in ChinaÕs New Wave art movement, Wu also lectured at the prestigious central academy and was named one of ChinaÕs top ten most influential avant garde artists. WuÕs work and reputation came to public attention and affirmation through the commissioning of several modern abstract sculptures in prestigious locations sited in a Beijing Park, The Theatre of the Chinese Association of the Arts and the Central Academy of Science.
Wu Shaoxiang is one of the earliest avant-garde artists who attempted to use Pop and Ready-made methods in China. The usage of signs and symbols becomes the main strategy in WuÕs later works. Since the 1990s, he chooses coin and banknote as the fundamental formal sign. It is due to the experience that he realized the core value of capital and money in the capitalist society when he lived in Europe. Adopting currency symbols, the most basic signs of the modern world, Wu explores the development trends of humanÕs spiritual world.
Active in the Chinese modern art circle, Wu has always advocated to promote and lead Chinese art from China into the international art arena and the incorporation of contemporary ideas and modern symbols is clearly prevalent and evident in his works. Compared to his contemporaries, Wu was often more daring and advanced in addressing topics of sexual or political connotations in his works
In 1989, Wu and his family immigrated to Austria, where he established a studio with his wife, the sculptor Jiang Shuo. Having exhibited extensively in Asia, Europe and America, WuÕs works are widely collected by important museums and prestigious institutions worldwide.


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