Often ephemeral and monumental, the work of Cai Guo-Qiang reflects a religious, philosophical, and age-old aesthetic tradition.
Whether it is through gunpowder drawings on paper, the use of Chinese medicinal herbs, working with a well-respected geomancer, collaborating with a Taoist shaman from Sichuan, or through references to Feng Shui, an ancient form of geomancy founded on cosmic forces, Cai Guo-Qiang has developed a body of work that is both polymorphic and profoundly coherent. His work responds to three spheres of Chinese thought: Heaven, Earth, and the human being.