art@clare
New Sculpture at Clare
Several new sculptures and paintings by eminent living artists are going on display in College this year, as part of a programme to enhance the visual arts at Clare, encourage debate and stimulate interest in the arts. This kinetic sculpture WV134 by the German artist Michael Hischer was recently installed in Ashby Court and has now been re-sited in Thirkill Court. It is on loan for 12 months from the NewArtCentre at Roche Court, one of the country’s leading collections of contemporary sculpture.
Confucius comes to Clare
Wu Wei-Shan, President of the Chinese Academy of Sculpture and Director of the Academy of Fine Arts of Nanjing University, has given his life-size bronze sculpture of the Chinese sage Confucius to Clare. Wu Wei-Shan is one of China's most prestigious contemporary sculptors, and was the first Asian artist to be admitted into the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
Confucius was previously displayed as part of the Fitzwilliam Museum's Sculpture Promenade 2009, an outdoor exhibition of contemporary sculpture.
Wei-Shan’s work combines elements of Western sculpture with a respect for traditional Chinese aesthetics; Confucius is an homage to the grotto-sculptures of ancient China cast using modern techniques.
Confucius celebrates Clare’s links with Chinese history, civilisation and learning: the first translation of Confucius’s teachings into English was published by a Fellow of Clare, Nathaniel Vincent, in 1685, while the current Professor of Chinese History, Science and Civilisation, Roel Sterckx, is a Fellow of Clare.