“In a walk across the Cadiz based estate, Shen Yuan’s master bridge stands out (…), displaying ceramic elements, with both Chinese and Arab elements, alluding to the difficult cultural relationships”.
Fernando Castro, Blanco y Negro Cultural
BRIDGE – 2004
Ceramic, the essential material used in her work Bridge, for the NMAC Foundation in 2004, providing the vehicle for a union between very distant cultures, on the one hand the Chinese culture, from which the artist originates and on the other, the Spanish culture with its Islamic reminiscences, as a reflection of the past.
It is a ceramic bridge derived from an oval handrail and a walkway which has no concrete end. The balustrade is comprised of two identical rows of decorated vases with Chinese and Islamic motifs. Furthermore the ends of the bridge are decorated with two slender ceramic structures with the same decorative motifs.
“Bridge” represents a metaphor for the difficulties which must be overcome by different cultures, before one can obtain an influence over the other, as on occasion language, traditions and customs can become serious impediments to multicultural coexistence.
This work symbolises the cultural syncretism reflected in the ceramics (Chinese and Arabic designs) and the obstacles imposed by the cultural differences which at times impede understanding between mankind.
