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Kui Hua Zi, 2009
porcelain, 250/500 kg of porcelain sunflower seeds
Kui Hua Zi, which translates as “sunflower seeds”, is comprised of hundreds of handmade seed forms in porcelain, a material invented in China 1,200 years ago. A political and historical metaphor, the sunflower seeds reference the peasant diet during the Great Leap Forward (1958 – 1961), Mao’s effort to modernize China through the collectivization of agriculture and industry. This act eventually led to widespread famine, leaving many with little to eat except sunflower seeds. As such, they became a symbol of hope and freedom. Through his use of material, subject matter, and form, Ai represents the one and the many, the modern and the ancient.
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