Hey, Baby
Song Jianshu
宋建树
Production date
2010
Object Detail
Media
red eucalyptus wood
Measurements
45 x 404 x 30 cm
Notes
The brazilwood log of 'Hey, Baby' (2010) was standing in the local timber market, offered at a discount because it had become waterlogged and the outer layers had parted from the core. After Song Jianshu got the log to his studio, he squared up the cracked exterior, which suddenly lifted like the lid of a box. “I felt like a pirate opening a treasure box,” he says. He polished the heartwood at the centre, bringing out its rich red colour, and charred the outside, making it look like an ancient relic. The work’s English title sounds like ‘hei baobei’: in Chinese ‘baobei’ is a term of endearment but also has another meaning of ‘treasure’.
Accession number
2010.047