Laozi is the pinyin Romanization for the Chinese characters which mean "Old Master." Laozi is also known as Lao Tan ("Old Tan") in early Chinese sources (see Romanization systems for Chinese terms). Laozi became a principal figure in institutionalized religious forms of Daoism. He was often associated with many transformations and incarnations of the dao itself.
The story of Laozi has taken on strong religious overtones since the Han dynasty. As Daoism took root, Laozi was recognized as a god. Belief in the revelation of the Dao from the divine Laozi resulted in the formation of the Way of the Celestial Master, the first organized religious Daoist sect. In later mature Daoist tradition, Laozi came to be seen as a personification of Dao. He is said to have undergone numerous "transformations", or taken on various guises in various incarnations throughout history to initiate the faithful in the Way. Religious Daoism often holds that the "Old Master" did not disappear after writing the Daodejing, but rather traveled to India to reveal the Dao.
When I saw this sculpture, I was shocked by the skill that the artist use. The artwork is so outstanding that I could not move my eyes away from the sculpture. I like this sculpture very much because the artist doesn’t only focus on the contour ,but also focus on the spirit of Laozi, he represent knowledge and many good idea and policies for the government. Although he is riding , he is thinking as well , I can felt that he is thinking a very difficult problem.
This exhibition is very interesting i think , I saw a lot of good artwork and I translate for our Art teacher, Ms.Hadley, the curator introduce each sculpture very clearly and I learnt a lot. I finally get the signature of Wu weishan and I saw him but I didn’t take a photo with him, what a pity!