Sketch No. 09

This original work on paper explores hybrid identity, symbolic form, and the translation of drawing into sculpture.

Siyuan Tan’s practice moves across painting, sculpture, and ceramics, allowing motifs to shift between flat images and three-dimensional objects. In Sketch No. 09, the repeated figure appears to be developed with volume, weight, and physical placement in mind.

The creature combines figurative and abstract characteristics. Its face recalls a mask, while its exaggerated body and compact posture suggest a sculptural object or guardian-like presence. Rather than referring to a single traditional source, Tan allows several visual associations to overlap.

This approach reflects his broader interest in cross-cultural relationships. Traditional imagery, folk visual language, theatrical forms, and contemporary abstraction can enter the same composition without remaining fixed within their original historical categories.

The pedestal-like structure beneath the central figure reinforces this transformation. What begins as a drawing starts to behave like an object—something that could occupy physical space and confront the viewer directly.

Through this process, Tan uses the sketch to investigate how cultural symbols can be reconstructed, displaced, and given new identities within contemporary artistic practice.

Sketch No. 09 captures Siyuan Tan’s process of developing a hybrid figure through drawing before it takes on a more sculptural presence. Across the upper part of the sheet, the artist tests several narrow compositions in which a mask-like or guardian-like creature emerges from compressed vertical spaces. Each variation changes the proportion, gesture, and relationship between the figure and its surrounding frame. The larger study below develops this idea further. The figure becomes more volumetric and appears to rise from a pedestal-like base, giving the drawing the character of a preliminary sculptural proposal rather than a conventional figurative sketch. Its identity remains deliberately ambiguous. Human, animal, mask, and ornamental form seem to coexist within the same body. For Tan, this ambiguity is important. Familiar cultural forms are not simply reproduced; they are reorganized until they acquire new meanings. The sketch preserves the moment when a symbolic image begins to move from two-dimensional line into imagined physical volume. As an original artist study, Sketch No. 09 offers a direct view into Tan’s cross-media process, revealing how drawing can function as a laboratory for sculptural form, cultural symbolism, and visual transformation.

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Each artwork is carefully prepared and securely packaged to help ensure safe delivery. Protective wrapping, reinforced corner protection, and sturdy outer packaging are used to safeguard the artwork throughout transit. Package Dimensions: 42 × 34 × 9 cm Package Weight: 0.7 kg If you require custom framing or professional mounting services, please contact us by email before placing your order or prior to shipment. As framing requirements, packaging specifications, destination, and shipping conditions may vary for each artwork, framing and shipping costs will be individually assessed and quoted on a per-artwork basis. Our team will recommend an appropriate packing and shipping solution based on the specific work to help ensure it arrives safely and ready for your space.

As an original work on paper, this artwork should be displayed and stored with particular attention to light, humidity, and surface protection. Keep the work away from direct sunlight and prolonged exposure to strong artificial light, as excessive UV exposure may gradually affect the paper and drawn surface. Display the artwork in a stable indoor environment away from excessive humidity, heat, and significant temperature fluctuations. Avoid placing it near radiators, fireplaces, air-conditioning vents, or damp areas. For long-term display, archival-quality framing materials and UV-protective glazing are recommended. Avoid direct contact between the artwork and non-archival materials. Do not touch the surface of the paper with bare hands. When handling is necessary, hold the work carefully by the edges with clean, dry hands or suitable protective gloves.