Join The Collection to save, track, and explore works like this.

Cai Guo-Qiang — Blue Bird and Flowers No. 2
Cai Guo-Qiang — Blue Bird and Flowers No. 2
Cai Guo-Qiang — Blue Bird and Flowers No. 2
Cai Guo-Qiang — Blue Bird and Flowers No. 2
Cai Guo-Qiang

Blue Bird and Flowers No. 2

2026

This triptych harnesses gunpowder's dual nature as agent of destruction and creation, with controlled detonations dispersing vivid pigments across canvas. Silhouetted bird forms hover and scatter across the composition in deep blue, while beneath them a dense field of flowering plants emerges in magenta, pink, and warm ochre tones. Gray and black scorch halos radiate outward from the color concentrations, creating atmospheric clouds that dissolve into the white ground. The work exemplifies a significant departure from the artist's signature monochromatic gunpowder practice, embracing chromatic richness while maintaining the medium's inherent volatility and spontaneity. Birds and blossoms coexist in a landscape defined by explosive energy, where ephemeral beauty emerges from pyrotechnic force.

Medium
Gunpowder on canvas
Overall

Notes

White Cube solo presentation of Cai Guo-Qiang at TEFAF New York 2026, Stand 355, Park Avenue Armory, May 14–19, 2026. Made 2021 to 2026. Triptych, 3 parts. Each part framed: 184.8 x 154.6 x 6.7 cm. Overall installed: 183 x 457.5 cm.

For Sale — $1600000

Start the Discussion

Request access to join the discussion

About this work

Cai Guo-Qiang, Blue Bird and Flowers No. 2, 2026

This triptych harnesses gunpowder's dual nature as agent of destruction and creation, with controlled detonations dispersing vivid pigments across canvas. Silhouetted bird forms hover and scatter across the composition in deep blue, while beneath them a dense field of flowering plants emerges in magenta, pink, and warm ochre tones. Gray and black scorch halos radiate outward from the color concentrations, creating atmospheric clouds that dissolve into the white ground. The work exemplifies a significant departure from the artist's signature monochromatic gunpowder practice, embracing chromatic richness while maintaining the medium's inherent volatility and spontaneity. Birds and blossoms coexist in a landscape defined by explosive energy, where ephemeral beauty emerges from pyrotechnic force.

Medium
Gunpowder on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 183 x 457.5 cm
Year
2026
Seen at
White Cube, London, United Kingdom

Related themes

Living Artist, Gunpowder Painting, Pink Palette, Mixed Media, Blue Chip Gallery, Chinese Artist, Nature Inspired, Landscape, Abstract Expressionism, Color Field, Process Art, Contemporary Painting, Explosion, Contemporary Art, Triptych, Birds, Flowers, Blue Palette, Large Scale, Performance Based

More works by Cai Guo-Qiang