My father was also a painter – actually, a traditional Chinese painter. His personality is pretty timid and cautious. Like him, I was growing up as a cautious kid. Cai Guo-Qiang Read Quote
Even though China was a very closed country, they thought of themselves as the center of the world. It is an ethnic characteristic. After I went to Japan, I had a totally different view. The Japanese are always talking about what the Western world is doing. There is the anxious feeling of an outsider. Cai Guo-Qiang Read Quote
I have always found that if, while creating an artwork, the artist constantly feels that some accident would occur if he is not careful, then it is a very significant moment and a significant work. Cai Guo-Qiang Read Quote
When I was young, the constraints of Chinese society and my personal timid and cautious nature both drove me to seek a means to go against control. Gunpowder has an inherent uncertainty and uncontrollability and is an important means for me to relieve myself of constraint. Cai Guo-Qiang Read Quote
Temporality and the transformation of energy are two very important aspects in my work. Cai Guo-Qiang Read Quote
In my own art, I try to use my personal voice and effort to enable some Chinese people to see the possibilities of another kind of China. A more open China. Cai Guo-Qiang Read Quote
For an artist, a good place to be is you have some kind of influence and power to get things done, but in your essence you remain a nomad or a soldier facing a difficulty to be overcome. Cai Guo-Qiang Read Quote
Many artists, when they are creating art, are searching for a vehicle that can manifest a feeling they have inside of themselves. Cai Guo-Qiang Read Quote
