Guo Qingfeng
Guo Qingfeng reinterprets the symbols and spiritual world embedded in the folk traditions, mythology, and totemic beliefs of Yulin in Shaanxi Province through contemporary sculpture. Drawing upon the history of a region where nomadic and agrarian cultures intersect, he transforms local beliefs, traditional rituals, and long-standing cultural symbols into the language of contemporary sculpture.
Armored Divine Beast
2022, installation, elm wood, iron ornaments, cowhide, 218 × 218 × 145 cm
Armored Divine Beast takes its inspiration from the Yuweizha (鱼尾钡), a traditional agricultural tool from the Yulin region. Originally used to cut fodder for livestock, its sharp and imposing form came to symbolize protection against misfortune and the safeguarding of life, and was later incorporated into local folk rituals. By combining the form of the Yuweizha with the visual language of traditional Chinese shadow puppetry, Guo creates the image of an armored mythical beast. Bringing together an everyday tool and a sacred figure, as well as folk tradition and contemporary sculpture, the work opens up multiple layers of meaning. Where reality and myth converge, ancient folk culture re-emerges within a contemporary visual language.
