Artist Statement
Tang Dynasty
Based on the work of artist, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, I am impressed and inspired to make an illustrated series about my country’s history, the Tang dynasty. I want to give a strong visual expression of the Tang dynasty through my rendering techniques. In this time, China was the strongest country in the world and there are many great cultural relics to admire. My series helps people to imagine what ancient China looked like and to understand the history and culture of the Tang Dynasty.
My series comes in four parts consisting of social, military, culture and agriculture. These four parts support the understanding of a “golden age” in ancient China. The Social aspect is depicted as a chess game base on Tang classical drawing style. In the Tang Dynasty, all of the land, citizens, and city belonged to the Emperor. The Emperor could play around with anything and anyone just like pieces of a chess game. This chess game metaphor shows the urban, political context of ancient China. The Military aspect is shown through a soldier fighting the enemy with his horse. In the Tang dynasty, the military played an important role in expanding land and protecting the country. A good military helped keep the country peaceful and safe. Armor and weapons development helped them fight more confidently and effectively than in previous dynasties. The Cultural aspect is shown through a poet writing poems. These are the most significant cultural relics from the Tang Dynasty. Several hundred of these poems still exist now. Poems represent the culture of the Dynasty so well. Lastly, the Agricultural aspect shows how agricultural tools work. Due to population increase, the need for food grew as well. Agriculture grew in response so that everyone could have enough food. The images in my series show the power and energy of the Tang Dynasty and I want viewers to feel the power and mystery of this Golden Age of China. After seeing these four images, people may be able to imagine what the Golden Age of China looked like.