Rising

This stainless steel sculpture created by Zhang Huan is a commissioned piece that stands outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto.

The pictures aren’t mine but I got the chance to see this piece over the weekend. From afar, I thought the piece looked like some monstrous plant beast, shedding leaves as it walked. I didn’t realize they were doves until I got a lot closer.

What I love most about this piece is the sense of movement in both the creature and the doves. I also noticed the contrast between the fluidity of the giant creature, and the harsh lines and placement of the doves. The doves are clustered more towards the front, almost as if to hide the face of the creature, but the way they are flying away suggests that the creature is being slowly unveiled.

In addition to Rising, Zhang Huan has a bunch of other works including paintings, photography, and performance art, of which he is more well known for.

Link to his site: http://www.zhanghuan.com/index_en.aspx