ILLUSTRATED:
Kee Magazine , The Antithesis, Hong Kong, 2003, issue no.6,
color illustrated
Huang Gang , People's Fine Arts Publishing House, Beijing,
2008, color illustrated, pp. 56-57 (The stated dimensions and
the date of the work are incorrect)

Born in the 1960s, Huang Gang went through Cultural Revolution, the most unstable period in Chinese history. Changes in the times have influenced him greatly. He is infatuated with the Tibetan culture, religion, and art, and has collected many pieces of Tibetan art, which are incorporated into his works later on. For example, wooden Sutras with mineral paint and propane, traditional Chinese lacquerware, gold foils, and rice paper can all be seen in his works. The culture of the past colliding with modern civilization creates great visual impact and leaves a visceral sensation in viewers. Childhood memories are also a major theme in his works; the political symbols and metaphors in his paintings after 2000 are especially clear. Curator Wei Chen once commented on the meanings of Huang's political symbols: "(Huang's recent works show) a connection between various mass cultures in order to establish a historical narration; respect from the artist - he said several times that when mocking traditional culture, its value also has to be respected. Traditional culture is part of the resources and motivation of future cultural development) ".

Sun from the East was created with lacquer, wood, and mixed media. The "red sun" on the left and its neighbouring dragon pattern stand out from the background. Anyone who is familiar with the history of Chinese Cultural Revolution must also know the song The East Is Red. The "red sun" rising in the east is the metaphor for Mao Zedong. Note that there is no clear judgement of the Cultural Revolution in the work itself. All is left for the viewer.