Li Jun（China）

Pilgrimage to the West / 2014 / Resin / 55cm×45cm×110cm

Appreciation: The story of Xuan Zang, a monk from the Tang Dynasty, is a common theme for describing the history of cultural exchanges along the Silk Road. Contemporary Chinese artists depicting painting and sculpture in this subject, usually refer to the stone carving, Xuan Zang Carrying Book Case by householder Ouyang Jian, in the National Xingjiao Temple in the south part of Xi’an. The template of the stone carving is the original painting currently in the collection of Tokyo National Museum, Xuan Zang Carrying Book Case, which was made in Song Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. Recently, some experts suspect this depicts the Arhat rather than Xuan Zang. The statue, Pilgrimage to West, by Chinese sculptor Li Jun, is also affected by the painting. The figure is concise, omitting controversial details from the original picture, such as life eyebrow, horsetail whisk, Dharma shell and other accessories, and adding an ordinary walking stick instead of khakkhara, which conforms to the simple identity of middle-aged Xuan Zang and fearless spirit of his overland journey.（Wang Yong）

Li Jun born in Shenyang, Liaoning Province in 1983, graduated from Chinese National Academy of Arts and now is working in the China Academy of Sculpture. Li has participated in“The Power of Youth-Nanjing-International Sports Sculpture Exhibition”(2013),“The 4th Changchun International Sculpture Exhibition (Youth)”(2014), and“Suzhou Jinji Lake Biennale-Jinji Lake Ligong Causeway”(2014).