Everyday over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting the shortlisted artists for The 2022 Sovereign Asian Art Prize – the 18th edition of Asia’s most prestigious prize for contemporary artists. Selected from over 400 entries, the finalists hail from 16 countries and regions across Asia-Pacific. Of the artists, 27 are new to The Prize – appearing in our shortlist for the first time. Read on to discover more about our finalists, their key points of inspiration, and why it is important to champion the work of artists from Asia-Pacific.  

Cai Yaling (China) was shortlisted for her work Goddess, which represents the generosity and dedication of women towards their families, which are often taken for granted. Behind these celebrated goddess-like bodies lies the encroachment and damage that has been overlooked.

Can you tell us what it is like to work with such a delicate sculpting material?

It has long been a tradition in my hometown to use dough to shape auspicious fish or flowers for festival celebrations. I learned to make scissors and combs from my grandmother when I was young, and the work was done by the female members of the family. When I studied sculpture at art college, professors always hoped that through learning technology we would create a full, real human body, and that in the process of steaming and baking dough it will naturally become full.

I use incomplete female bodies in my work, called Goddess. These swollen bodies are real women, the broken wounds and wrinkles of women who have been eaten away by daily housework, childbirth and domestic violence are expressed through this fragile material.

What is the significance of colour palette and charring in your work?

Chinese dough figurine art always has various colours. On the one hand, the colours in my work represent diversity – the different races and identities of women. On the other hand, they also hint at the colour changes of human skin that may be caused by external forces. The treatment of burnt black is not only a possible consequence of negligence in the cooking process, but also a real social event.

What do you hope to communicate about the role of women in society?

In traditional Chinese culture, being a “good wife and lovely mother” is always regarded as the highest standard for women. This description is similar to “goddess”, which seems to be praise on the surface, but in fact, it has been imprisoned for a long time. Women will consume themselves in this era of praise and expectations, and the worship of the goddess’s beautiful body will become the cause of every woman’s self-censorship. And these effects are subtle and unknowable.

How important is it to support the work of artists in Asia-Pacific?

It is important to respect and support the works of Asia-Pacific artists, because such support does not represent an artist, but a concern for the cultural and social status of a country, a group.

To vote for Cai’s work, click here. The most popular finalist will receive the Public Vote Prize and USD1000.

To register interest in purchasing Cai’s artwork, click here. Artwork sales will be launched in person and online during Art Central, from 26 – 29 May 2022. Proceeds will be spilt equally between the artist and our charitable programmes.

Want to learn about our other finalists? Tune in tomorrow for Chan Wai Lap’s interview. To read previous artists’ interviews, click here.