CHEN KE (CHINA, B. 1978)

Chen Ke's artworks are often autobiographical. She is concerned with introspection and reflecting on her feelings and internal processes. In this work, a lonely child stands in the middle of a body of water by himself. It looks as though he does not know where he is heading. At this moment, a dragon boat animated by a magical spirit gently approaches him. In 2010, Chen Ke hosted an exhibition entitled Hard- Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. The title of the exhibition is a reference to Haruki Murakami's novel by the same name. The artist wishes to 'find a sense of salvation, and the only way to salvation is to believe that beyond the physical world, there is another world... This gives the subconscious a solution to face the terrible fact that life is finite and fragile. Art is a tool. It helps people to overcome spiritual crisis and obstacles'.