Artist
Born and raised in Perak, Malaysia, Zhang Guoyao studied sculpture at the National Taiwan University of the Arts. He acquired solid sculpture skills there while enrolling in bachelor’s and master’s programs. He is currently a doctoral student in the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University. He has assisted numerous artists, both from the local community and abroad, to produce large-scale outdoor art installations while gaining extensive first-hand experience in landscaping. He prefers natural materials and is able to enlarge his personal creativity without much restraint, to accommodate visitors’ movement and direct interactions, showing the inclusiveness of his work, as well as the embodiment of his artistic pursuit.
Artwork
Work Title: Mountain Sea Hidden Space
Location: Shiyusan Recreation Area
Materials: Rebar, Steel Poles, Driftwood, Makino Bamboo
“The Island of Mountains, The Sea of Islands” is the artist’s impression of the east coast of Taiwan. He hopes to create a hidden space for the local environment; a “Mountain Tunnel” woven with bamboo slices intersects an “Ocean Tunnel” made of driftwood. The “trees” in the space also means the blossoming of life. “Hidden Space” and “Challenging Space” share the same Madrian Chinese pronunciation while additional meaning implies that in Challenging Space, there are infinite possibilities. The visitors are invited to walk into the artwork, sit freely on the ground, and take a rest. And they are further encouraged to contemplate the value of mutual existence between humans and the environment through the interaction with the artwork.
