Pumpkin-ish

作品賞析

Pumpkin-ish is a work developed by the artist Chu Shu-Chi based on the concept of “mimicry” in evolutionary biology. “Mimicry” refers to a species’ transformation of some of its own characteristics into those similar to another species or its environmental surroundings in order to facilitate survival. Chu Shu-Chi here realistically depicts a cactus mimicking a pumpkin. The cactus is a visual element he often uses, and the pumpkin is one of the best-known motifs in the works of the well-known Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Through this work, Chu projects the concept of “mimicry” into the artistic environment. It is a reflection on whether creative artists will imitate or pay tribute to more successful, more topical images and shapes in order to attract attention or create a focus. Chu hopes to use this “pumpkin-ish” image to question and reflect on the status quo he observes in the ecology of the creative arts.