Sculpture faith, showing life

[Creating Worship with Hands] 3 The Story of Sculptor Yang Mingzhong

Picture provided/Yang Mingzhong, Lin Minwen

▲Angel of Glory The bright and spacious studio is the space where Yang Mingzhong conceives and creates. The work "Angel of Glory", which is currently being carved, was commissioned by the Chimei Museum and will be placed on the top of the spire of the new art museum.

Bright and spacious, it is the first impression upon entering this space. Light leaks from the windows on all sides and above. The roof is nearly twenty feet high, and the surrounding walls are like blank canvases, with photos, sketches, and paintings posted on them. This is the studio of sculptor Yang Mingzhong.

Looking out the window, green grass is spread out. The girl sitting on the stone bench is deep in thought, and the two children are lying on the ground playing. The backyard of the home has become a salon where the sculptures are displayed.

After the restructuring of Wudu, Qigu District, located in Tainan City, Taiwan, was the outlet of the Zengwen River, a large river, and a space for artists to conceive and create.

The bright side of faith

However, this was not the environment in which Yang Mingzhong grew up. The conservative ideas of the southern countryside, like the square and neat layout of the courtyard in his hometown, once constrained his ambitions.

He has been fond of colors and images since he was a child. I still remember that in the magazines that my father subscribed to, there was a small painting attached to the back cover of each issue. He could look at it from side to side, sideways and vertically, and admired it for a long time. When he decided to develop his "interest" and enter the then art school to study sculpture, he was regarded as a "bad boy" in the countryside.

With his passion for art and a bit of stubborn persistence, Ming Zhong's continuous creation began to be recognized, and his works won many awards. But winning the award does not mean that his career will be smooth sailing. In fact, due to financial difficulties, he took on the art design work of building Buddhist temples to make ends meet.

His father was once the chairman of the temple, and Mingzhong has been in and out of the atmosphere of burning incense and worshiping since he was a child. Every time I go to a festival, I am pushed around by all the faithful men and women, and the smell of incense candles fills my eyes and nose, and I even get burned. He actually doesn't like this kind of religion and just follows traditional culture.

His ideal temple should be quiet, tranquil, natural and simple. This is not only his concept of architectural beauty, but also his longing for faith. However, this ideal runs counter to the complexity and grandeur required by the temple, and even the mysterious atmosphere deliberately created.

Mingzhong had to make a choice between stable income and artistic conscience. After struggling, and with passion and stubbornness, he chose to quit his job.

One day, he accidentally walked into a bright building with a long row of windows on both sides, which became a medium between outdoor flowers and trees and indoor figures. Light connected nature and people. This turned out to be a church. Mingzhong's heart suddenly became enlightened. Why is this "temple" where he worships Jesus so different? Why does it feel so "good"?

After he started attending church services and studying the Bible, Mingzhong was even more surprised to find that there was a kind of "teaching" that did not require incense or animal sacrifices. All he had to do was worship with his heart and sing hymns to praise. There is no longer any need to push when entering and exiting the church. Everyone is calm and at ease.

Fresh feelings were naturally compared with past experiences, and Mingzhong immediately felt thirsty. Knowing that their belief in Jesus was strongly opposed by their family, after struggling, Mingzhong and his wife Yingshu asked a pastor to come to their home to remove the Guanyin statue and the God's Lord Card. It is because such bright faith gives them confidence and courage that they can do so without hesitation.

The creative side

In early 2011, Mingzhong held an exhibition "Paradise by the Sea" in Anping, a suburb of Tainan. One of the much-appreciated works, "Grace Like Rain", was inspired by the emotion he received while singing and worshiping. Based on the outline of the daughter, the hollow figure stretches out towards the raindrops, bathing in them. The round and smooth curves seem to capture the joyful rhythm of the moment.

This work was purchased by a non-Christian doctor who said he wanted to give it to a Christian friend. Mingzhong knew that the feeling expressed in the work could be accepted by viewers and was connected to the Christian faith.

In addition to being in private collections, many of Mingzhong's works are commissioned as public art installations for schools, parks, art galleries, cultural centers and other institutions. The artist uses these sculptures to convey messages of gratitude and happiness. He believes that regardless of their religious background, everyone desires to pursue peace and blessings. The objects and channels of pursuit may be different, but God has planted such a desire in people's hearts. When he stands in the exhibition hall and explains the work, it is his pulpit, testifying that God is the source of the information in the work.

▲Grace is like rain The 2011 work "Grace Like Rain" was inspired by Yang Mingzhong's feelings while singing and worshiping. With its round and smooth curves, it captures the joyful rhythm of the moment.

There are many human sculptures in Mingzhong's early works, because this is the most basic and difficult subject matter. In the past ten years, I have set up a studio in Victoria, Canada, and built a residence in Qigu. I have had more opportunities to get in touch with nature and observe God's creation. This way, my themes are broader and my emotions are richer. Among them, "Dancer of the Earth" designed for the Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Center in 2007 was the result of paying attention to the power of the dancing of these migratory birds from the bird watching area of Tsang Man Creek Lagoon near my home.

In his more than thirty years of artistic career, Mingzhong has also experienced troughs. It’s not that he lacks inspiration. After all, the themes of sculptures are everywhere, but he himself thinks that he is “not moved enough”. If a work can move the viewer, it must first move the creator himself; to be sufficiently moved, the creator must first become a person who is easily moved by all things.

Before sketching and sculpting, he was like an ecology student, carefully observing the colors, growth, and even interactions with people of flowers, plants, insects, and birds. Mingzhong sought with his heart the Lord who created all things, and let his heart be touched by God first to see what God wanted him to see and feel.

Whenever he opens his heart, God often gives him new horizons and new emotions, and then presenting such emotions with the paint or materials in his hands can often make people's eyes brighten.

▲Artist and "Dancer of the Earth" The 2007 work "Dancer of the Earth" was a black-faced spoonbill sculpture. Yang Mingzhong's works are based on nature, trying to express the power of the dance of migratory birds.

The Real Side of Service

After the family moved to Canada, Mingzhong lived in two places with his wife and children for a period of time. With faith as the connection, couples, parents and children are more considerate to each other. During his Skype calls with his family, he often talked about his relationship with God and encouraged his children to get closer to God. Children are like kites, and prayer is the thread that tightly connects the hearts of parents and children. Now that the children have grown up, no matter how busy they are, they still go to church and Bible study classes in order to "be in the same country as their parents."

Now, Mingzhong and his wife Yingshu spend more time with Qigu, and often attend meetings and serve in local churches. Fish farming was once prosperous here, but now young people have gone to the city to make a living, leaving only the elderly and children. The Mingzhong couple and the pastor tried to visit and conduct family Bible studies, but the villagers went to the fields during the day and went to bed early at night, so it was difficult to have a proper opportunity to talk to them.

▲lamb's journey In life, it is inevitable to "go astray", thank God for saving us. From the 2011 work "Little Sheep's Journey", we can see the sculptor's understanding of guidance and waiting.

On Sunday morning, Mingzhong took a carload of old people and children to worship. Most of them have been in the fields for most of the day and come in just to wipe their hands and feet. Their shirts and pants are still stained with mud, and their heads and faces are still covered with sweat.

For artists, the most intolerable thing is "not beautiful". How can we breathe in the "beauty" from the smell of earth and sweat steaming from the car?

But what exactly is “beauty”?

In the past, if he was not satisfied with his works and felt they were not good enough, Mingzhong would throw them away and not want to read them again. I always hope to leave behind good works and leave no traces of bad works. I hope that in this way, my creative process will be perfect and without stains. Once, when I was painting with the eighty-six-year-old teacher Shen Zhezai, I saw how much the teacher cherished every painting. Even if the painting was not good, he still found ways to add more strokes to make up for it.

Mingzhong had a new understanding. Even if you are not satisfied with the work, you can put it aside and come back to it after a while. Maybe you will develop new eyes and new feelings, and you can revise it again. He said, in fact, no one is perfect. They all have a lot of shortcomings and have a disgraceful and "misguided" past. How can they cover it up and hide it? But God brings us back. With God's repair, these works can see the light of day again.

From then on, he also looked at everyone he came into contact with in a new light.

When working with his assistants, Mingzhong and his wife Yingshu often lead them in prayer and look to God for the day's work. The poems played in the studio and in the car also aroused their curiosity as to what kind of God could receive such praise and thanksgiving. The artist couple did not talk about profound philosophy, but simply welcomed them with a frank heart and opened their home and mind. Young people are becoming curious and want to know more about this faith that makes their teacher so broad-minded.

The lively side of art

Public art is placed outdoors and must coexist with sunlight and rain. Take the black-faced spoonbill sculpture "Dancer of the Earth" placed offshore as an example. It has been blown by the salty sea breeze and has been covered with a layer of green rust. Doesn't the sculptor feel distressed? Mingzhong said that natural materials decay, which is an inevitable change in life.

These works are drawn from nature and should be displayed in a natural environment, interacting with natural elements. The sculpture seems to be standing quietly, but once it is washed away by rain and cast by sunlight, it can also produce a sense of smart beauty. Even the same work has different appearances when viewed in different seasons, different climates, or even at different times of the day, just like the many emotions and characteristics of a person. It is because of the breath of life that there will be changes, and because of the changes, it reflects the dynamics of life.

The same is true for creation. Even though the work has received high praise and is extremely popular, Mingzhong does not feel that he has made the most satisfactory work. Such a desire to pursue the most satisfactory works urges him to continue to observe, feel and create. He himself said that after a sculpture is completed, he feels good at the moment. But when I read it again after a while, I felt very sorry.

He understands that each period of his creative career has different emotions and methods. When looking back at past works, the perspective will be different from when they were completed and exhibited. Perhaps, this means that there is still life within and growth.

▲Making "Longing Fish" Yang Mingzhong carefully observed flowers, plants, insects and birds, and then used different materials to express his feelings. The picture shows "The Longing Fish" made from recycled optical discs and exhibited at the 2008 Taiwan Lantern Festival.

Having devoted himself to art work for more than thirty years, Mingzhong has a good wife who takes care of everything. Whether it is the creation of literature, music, or art, all require a high degree of concentration. He himself admits that he often uses creation as an excuse to hide in the studio to "retreat" and escape from cumbersome interpersonal interactions. His wife Yingshu answered the phone, contacted the agency that commissioned the work, sorted out the photos and archives of the works, and other trivial matters, allowing him the luxury to concentrate on his creation. Mingzhong thought about it, he should actually thank her.

The couple lives and works together, so it is inevitable that there will be bumps and bruises. They learned to tolerate and love each other through constant friction. Looking back, they saw the two of them growing up together.

▲longing fish The delicious and cheap milkfish expresses God's thoughts through the hands of the sculptor, and there is still delicate attention in the grandeur.

Qigu Offshore has a deep-rooted tradition of worshiping Mazu and Wangye. It was the only town in the original Tainan County without a church before the restructuring of the Five Capitals. They dreamed of building a palace in the fields, with a spacious and bright main hall and a garden where people could wander. Christian artists from home and abroad can even be invited to create murals on the outer walls, giving a visual surprise and a spiritual rest to the vehicles flowing on the highway and the villagers rushing to make a living.

Mingzhong pointed out that worship halls often convey the theological views of the time. Therefore, there are Norman and Gothic churches in Europe that are simple or towering. Stained glass is not necessarily necessary to express the beauty of the church. From the use of colors inside and outside the building, landscape design, furniture placement and other ingenious ideas, adding a little pleasing creative design to the church's printed materials can give people who come here a beautiful experience of body, mind and soul.

When God created all things in the universe, He invested so much creativity and created so much beauty. As an artist, Mingzhong only wants to express God's thoughts through his works, and he still has delicate attention in the grandeur.

In the summer evening, I walked with the artist couple on the beach at the mouth of Zengwen River and looked at the vastness. The setting sun that has not yet returned home reflects on the sea waves with golden light; the collapsed fishing hut is like a tilted cross, stretching out its arms to connect the sea and the sky. Mingzhong stopped and stared, his heart seemed to be touched by this scene.

Did the bright and broad God give him a new impression? Are there new works to be produced that convey the brightness and spaciousness of this moment? For Yang Mingzhong, sculpture is a way of worship; every place where works are displayed is a temple of worship.

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Lin Minwen devotes herself to literary ministry and focuses on writing and editing.