"Art does not stem from studying, but from practice. And practice stems from life and nature."
Renowned sculptor Ju Ming passed away in 2023 at the age of 85, leaving behind a legendary legacy of relentless creativity spanning seven decades. Among his most notable works is the Taichi Series - Single Whip posture, becoming one of the most coveted sculptures by the artist and collects ed by numerous public and private institutions. Examples include the Hakone Open-Air Museum, Japan, Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong, Exchange Square, Hong Kong, City garden, St. Louis, Victoria Square, Montreal, and the Ju Ming Museum, Taipei. These serve as notable examples of his work being widely collects ed and displayed.
In the 1990s, Ju Ming had established himself as an internationally renowned artist, holding numerous major solo exhibitions at the Hong Kong Arts Centre, Taipei History Museum, and the Hutchinson Gallery in New York. In 1990, the artist presented a solo exhibition at the South Bank Centre in London, showcasing over ten colossal Taichi sculptures, some reaching heights of two to three meters. This marked the first invitation extended to an Asian artist to hold a large-scale sculpture exhibition. Taichi Series - Single Whip serves as a test.mes nt to the artist's significant standing in the art world during that t.mes and his magnificent creative achievements.
Taichi Series - Single Whip is the artist's most renowned series, inspired by the iconic and emblematic martial arts movement found in Taichi. This posture captures the precise moment when a Taichi practitioner is poised in a state of readiness, with the legs curved and the hands extended, while maintaining a balanced and defensive posture. This posture employs a style that combines both dynamism and stillness, embodying the harmonious beauty of Taichi philosophy.
Due to Ju Ming's background as a woodcarver, he holds a special affinity for wood as a medium. This work utilizes raw wood, preserving its natural texture, grain, knots, and marks, effectively showcasing the dynamic versatility of organic energy while resonating with the natural environment. Ju Ming's choice of wood as the medium to express the essence of the Taichi series represents a profound artistic contemplation, successfully unifying form and theme. Through Taichi, the artist seeks to pursue the rhythmic harmony of nature, conveying the cultural essence of traditional Chinese philosophy of "unity of heaven and humanity".
「天人合一藝術不是源於學習，而是源於實踐。而實踐源於生活、源於自然。」
一代雕塑大師朱銘於2023年初與世長辭，享壽85歲。回顧其七十年來創作不懈的傳奇人生，其中最受矚目的莫過於「太極系列—單邊下勢」，是朱銘雕塑當中最最受追捧的造型，獲眾多公私型機構典藏。例如日本雕刻之森美術館、香港中國銀行大樓、香港交易廣場、密蘇里州聖路易斯城市公園、蒙特利爾維多利亞廣場及台北朱銘美術館等，為世人熟知的公共空間收藏範例。
90年代，朱銘已是個名震國際的藝術家，陸續在香港藝術中心、台北歷史博物館、紐約漢查森藝廊等地舉辦了多次大型個展。如1990年，朱銘於英國倫敦南岸文化中心舉辦個展，展覽呈現了十多件高達兩三公尺的太極巨型雕塑，成為唯一首次獲邀舉辦大型雕塑展的亞洲藝術家。此件《太極系列－單鞭下勢》見證了朱銘在當時藝壇的重要地位和輝煌的創作成就。
「太極系列—單邊下勢」是朱銘最著名的創作系列，靈感源自太極拳中最為經典且最具標誌性的武術招式。此招式捕捉了太極拳行者在蓄勢待發的瞬間，雙腳一曲一直，雙手張開，重心下沉，形成一個可攻可守的姿態。作品運用了動靜結合、剛柔並重的風格，完美地呈現了太極思想的和諧之美。
由於朱銘是木雕工匠出身，對木材情有獨鍾。此作以原木為素材，保留了天然的紋理、質感、枝節和刻痕，完美地展現了動態能量的多變性，同時與大自然環境產生共鳴。朱銘選擇木材作為表達太極系列的媒材，可說是把形式與主題高度統一的藝術深思。朱銘希望通過太極追求自然的韻律，傳達出中國傳統的「天人合一」的文化精髓。