Bofeng Gao Brick Carving Immersive Water Exhibition
Bofeng Gao
Brick Carving Artist / Quanzhou Arts & Crafts Master
Born in 1975 in Xilin Gol, Inner Mongolia, Bofeng Gao settled in Quanzhou in 2000. Rooted in his deep understanding of traditional Chinese culture and aesthetics, Gao uses the knife as his brush and brick as his canvas, integrating painting, carving, seal art, and ink rubbings into his practice. Through this fusion of contemporary visual language and traditional brick carving, he continuously explores and redefines the artistic possibilities of this ancient craft.
The Journey of the Formless — An Immersive Water Exhibition
Presented at Hangzhou Liuxia 1129, The Journey of the Formless marks Bofeng Gao’s first immersive water exhibition in China. Using Minnan red bricks as the artistic medium and craftsmanship as the language of expression, the exhibition creates a poetic dialogue between Southern Fujian brick carving traditions and the thousand-year cultural legacy of Hangzhou’s old Song-era streets.
The exhibition’s most distinctive feature lies in its underwater presentation. Submerged within flowing water, the sharp edges of the red bricks are gradually softened, while the strength of carved knife marks merges with shimmering ripples. Static carvings come alive through reflections and moving water, transforming still artworks into dynamic visual experiences. This unique approach breaks away from the conventional mode of static art appreciation, creating a one-of-a-kind waterside aesthetic experience.
For nearly two decades, Bofeng Gao has devoted himself to the art of brick carving. Drawing inspiration from local Minnan red bricks, he combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary artistic experimentation. Within each carved surface, mythical creatures, mountain and sea imagery, literati elegance, and modern minimalism coexist, balancing cultural depth with contemporary expression.
As Gao explains:
“In our local tradition, people often pour tea over red bricks. This time, I wanted to make use of the water courtyard at Liuxia 1129, allowing flowing water to soften the edges of the bricks while merging the sharpness of the carving marks with rippling reflections. The still carvings become visually alive through light and water, creating a completely new way of experiencing brick carving art.”
The exhibition debuts eighteen new works from the Looking Up and Down, The Journey of the Formless, Formless, and Bamboo & Sparrow series. Also featured is Gao’s iconic masterpiece Erlang Searching the Mountains, a monumental 4.5-meter-long work intricately depicting mythical beasts, birds, garments, and textured details. Rich in layered composition and expressive linework, the piece vividly revives the classical storytelling spirit and refined aesthetics of the Song Dynasty.
Where Tradition Dissolves into Formless Beauty
Rooted in local cultural traditions yet reborn through cross-regional dialogue, this exhibition transforms brick carving into a contemporary artistic language through the presence of water. From meticulously carved classical scrolls to site-specific creations, from restrained contemporary negative space to poetic botanical imagery, every visible knife mark ultimately dissolves into a realm of quiet subtlety and formless beauty.
This extraordinary immersive water exhibition not only reimagines the aesthetic possibilities of traditional brick carving, but also stands as a remarkable example of contemporary artistic expression and cross-disciplinary cultural dialogue.
