GAO XIAOWU

Gao is most noted for his Standard Times series of lanky figures in extreme bows, and the balloon-shaped men and women of his City Dreams sculptures that yearn to fly yet cannot seem to get off the ground with their tiny wings, arms, and legs. The effect of Gao’s work is both poignant and inspiring, reflecting modern Chinese society and also serving as explorations of the artist’s identity. Having himself grown up in a small peasant village but currently living his dream in Beijing, Gao appreciates the power of imagination, and through his work displays the contrast between ambition and gravity, reality and dreams, and celebrates the ordinary people who will never escape reality, yet never abandon hope.

“I am looking for a world without reality … let’s go to a world without reality.” - Gao Xiaowu

Gao often portrays the contemporary Asian identity through the aspects that have come to define China – rapid development in a realm of tradition. His sculpture Discrepancyalludes to this, showing a serene Buddha figure solemnly balancing on top of a large screw, a symbol of the industrialization and construction that has made modern China possible. The screw is as a spinning top, remaining perilously upright only through the suggestion of constant motion. Stop moving, stop building, and the Buddha falls. Gao Xiaowu’s sculptures are more than cute. The happy cartoon-like figures draw smiles from viewers, through which the artist captures the zeitgeist of China and offers commentary on serious societal issues. His sculptures are as optimistic and approachable as they are deep and meaningful.