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Cai Guo-Qiang — Wall Plant No. 1
Cai Guo-Qiang — Wall Plant No. 1
Cai Guo-Qiang

Wall Plant No. 1

2018

Wall Plant No. 1 emerges from controlled gunpowder detonation, its composition dominated by dark, charred forms that suggest botanical growth against a luminous ground. Delicate wisps of purple and lavender pigment drift across the lower register, contrasting with the violent blacks and browns that radiate outward in scorched halos. The work exemplifies the artist's signature technique of harnessing explosive force to create nuanced, organic imagery, where destruction becomes the instrument of creation. Layered residue and particulate matter create atmospheric depth, transforming the flat canvas into a landscape of material fragmentation and poetic restraint.

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. Framed: 27.3 x 27.3 x 7 cm. Exhibited in 'Flora Commedia', Uffizi Galleries, Florence, 19 November 2018 to 16 February 2019.

For Sale — $40000

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About this work

Cai Guo-Qiang, Wall Plant No. 1, 2018

Wall Plant No. 1 emerges from controlled gunpowder detonation, its composition dominated by dark, charred forms that suggest botanical growth against a luminous ground. Delicate wisps of purple and lavender pigment drift across the lower register, contrasting with the violent blacks and browns that radiate outward in scorched halos. The work exemplifies the artist's signature technique of harnessing explosive force to create nuanced, organic imagery, where destruction becomes the instrument of creation. Layered residue and particulate matter create atmospheric depth, transforming the flat canvas into a landscape of material fragmentation and poetic restraint.

Medium
Gunpowder on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 25.4 x 25.4 cm
Year
2018
Seen at
White Cube, London, United Kingdom

Related themes

Canvas Based, Gunpowder Painting, Installation Artist, Mixed Media, Chinese Artist, Conceptual Art, Nature Inspired, Explosion Art, Abstract Expressionism, Black And White, Color Field, Small Format, Contemporary Painting, Abstraction, Botanical Imagery, Contemporary Art, Controlled Chaos, Powder Pigment, Minimalism, Performance Based

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