Often combining mythological or whimsical motifs with elements of industrial design, Jianxin Tian hammers reliefs onto mass-produced metal objects, as if enchanting the mundane world. Tian presses and chisels sensual bodily forms onto domestic objects, continuing an initial motivation to draw out a poetics of kitchenware that formed during the pandemic lockdown. His practice, grounded in his training in Greco-Roman classical and modernist sculpture, is propelled by an urge to contend with the iconography of everyday life.. For In Practice, Tian expands from household items to working with parts from large-scale industrial production, creating forms that diverge from the aesthetics of the assembly line. In Practice: Jianxin Tian is curated by Sharon X. Liu, Asymmetry Curatorial Fellow and Kyle Dancewicz, Deputy Director.
SculptureCenter