SIGNED AUDEMARS PIGUET, JULES AUDEMARS, OPENWORKED TOURBILLON CHRONOGRAPH MODEL, REF. 26353PT.OO.D028CR.01, CASE NO. G 82585, CIRCA 2011

Wang Keping is one of the most outspoken artists of The Stars group formed in China in 1979. Wang's sculptures from this period reflect the deep sense of rebellion he felt towards the oppressive regime. Once Wang moved to France In 1984, in pursuit of the artistic freedom that was then unobtainable in China, his works began to focus more on self-reflection and the materiality of the wood itself. In L'Attente Wang is guided by the natural characteristics of the wood, using the knots and cracks in its craggy surface to coax out the form of a human figure. Similarly, Chinese imperial sculptors would draw from the natural shape, color, and grain of their material to inspire their final forms (Fig. 1). Through his unique visual language, Wang successfully modernizes this traditional philosophical aesthetic, inviting viewers to reconsider their place in the natural world.