the indigestible fleshy sculpture of cao hui

the indigestible fleshy sculpture of cao hui
‘visual temperature — sofa’
mixed materials of resin, fibre etc.
98 x 106 x 108cm
image courtesy of lin & lin gallery

the work of cao hui could be considered indigestible for some viewers. the chinese artist’s ‘visual temperature’ series depicts everyday objects such as an upholstered armchair, suitcase, jacket and gloves… except hyper-realistically rendered as flesh. while initially grotesque, the family of sculptures are crafted with a precision from materials that wouldn’t normally be associated with soft and meaty parts: a mixture of resin, fibre and other mediums. through his creative practice, self-deception is of primary importance in which he firmly believes that the surface of something is just as important as the interior — realistically and honestly displaying skin tissue and fat in a way that triggers emotions of ‘surprise, sorrow, anger, sadness or laughter’.

‘visual temperature — sofa no.2’
mixed materials of resin, fibre etc.
95 x 98 x 106 cm, 75 x 50 x 40 cm
image courtesy of lin & lin gallery

‘visual temperature — case’
mixed materials of resin, fibre etc.
50 x 55 x 48 cm
image courtesy of lin & lin gallery

‘visual temperature — coat’
mixed materials of resin, fibre etc.
22 x 58 x 88 cm
image courtesy of lin & lin gallery

‘visual temperature — glove’
mixed materials of resin, fibre etc.
21 x 10 x 4 cm
image courtesy of lin & lin gallery

all your holiday essentials… in the flesh.