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M+, Hong Kong, © Estate of Antonio Mak
Figure・roots I 人・根 (一)
1988
Figure ‧ roots I is part of a body of two-dimensional works Antonio Mak began in the 1960s, which is comprised of ink and graphite drawings, mixed-media collages, and etchings. These are distinct from his better-known sculptural practice. Featuring motifs of horses, trees, books, ladders, steps, and chairs, these works are often inspired by the art and theories of Marcel Duchamp and by M. C. Escher’s fantastical perspectives and tessellations. Deceptively simple and sometimes nonsensical, Mak’s arrangements of figures, objects, and animals use visual puns and unusual juxtapositions to probe existential questions. Figure ‧ roots I is one of several ink and watercolour drawings by Mak that depicts a silhouette of a figure standing on a fallen tree trunk. Leafless and uprooted, the edges of the tree seem to disintegrate into the surrounding void, as does the figure, whose head hangs in an expression of sadness or defeat. The atmosphere is gloomy and foreboding, perhaps referencing the mood of uncertainty following the Sino-British joint declaration of 1984 that resolved the question of Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong. Like many of Mak’s paper-based works, the drawing was later translated into a small-scale bronze sculpture.
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