At the 2024 CAA Graduation Exhibition, Sun Yancheng, a graduate from the Department of Fiber Art at CAA’s School of Sculpture and Public Art, presented his series of works titled “Treasured Collection” and won the Gold Award for his exceptional creativity and profound artistic expression.

The “Treasured Collection” series consists of three pieces, each featuring a unique combination of materials and symbolic meanings. The first piece, titled “Penthouse”, is composed of sugar, concrete, steel bars, feathers, minerals, butterfly specimens, copper wire, woven carpets, and apples. This installation deconstructs and reimagines the foundational elements of urban architecture to explore the concept of “happiness” in urban life. The core structure of the piece draws inspiration from load-bearing columns, stripping away the exterior layers to reveal the raw strength of steel and concrete, which serves as the basis for artistic expression. The winding steel bars at the top symbolize the resilience and distortion of reality, while the melting sugar evokes a surreal “paradise” that gradually drips down like threads of fate, linking reality with illusion. Sugar, a transient medium, is imbued with multiple layers of emotion, symbolizing the interweaving of happiness, desire, and regret. As the sugar slowly dissolves over time, the piece becomes dynamic and ever-changing, highlighting the delicate balance between time and emotion.

The second piece, “In the Palm”, primarily utilizes sewing threads, metal wires, and gold and silver threads, continuing the exploration of human emotions and life states. Through the intertwining and entanglement of these threads, the work reflects the oscillation between control and being controlled in life. The intricate web of threads symbolizes the entanglements and struggles of individuals within the complex social fabric.

The third piece, “Amber Age”, centers on the theme of frozen moments, examining the permanence and dissolution of desire, regret, and happiness. The texture of amber appears to freeze time, transforming human emotions into eternal memories. However, the piece also conveys an element of “melting”, emphasizing the transient and unpredictable nature of life. Unfulfilled desires and missed moments find their place in this “Treasured Collection”, encapsulated in the form of amber.

Through the “Treasured Collection” series, Sun not only showcases exceptional creativity in material usage and artistic form but also delicately reveals a profound emotional core, successfully provoking the audience to reflect on themes of happiness, desire, and regret in life.

Treasured Collection

Artist: Sun Yancheng  ( School of Sculpture and Public Art )

Instructor: Huang Yan