

Blue Bird and Blue Flower
2026
This monumental canvas captures the artist's signature technique of controlled gunpowder detonation, where explosive force transforms pigment into ephemeral gestural marks. Dominating the composition are concentrated clusters of deep indigo and cobalt blue, radiating outward in organic bursts and halos against a pale cream ground, punctuated by brown and grey scorching. The densest blue concentrations suggest avian or floral forms emerging from the chaos of detonation, their boundaries dissolved by the violent dispersal of pigment. Charred residues and delicate color clouds float across the surface, embodying the artist's exploration of destruction as a generative creative force. The work represents a recent chromatic turn within a decades long practice grounded in gunpowder's simultaneous capacity for precision and unpredictability.
- Medium
- Gunpowder on canvas
- Overall
- Spotted At
- Gallery · White Cube
Notes
White Cube solo presentation of Cai Guo-Qiang at TEFAF New York 2026, Stand 355, Park Avenue Armory, May 14–19, 2026. Made 2025 to 2026. Framed: 154.3 x 124.2 x 7 cm.
For Sale — $400000
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