Collection Online
Search the Collection 搜索M+藏品
M+, Hong Kong, © Estate of Antonio Mak
Tiger bullied by gnats 虎落平陽被蠅欺
circa 1989
Tiger bullied by gnats 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. In this drawing, a tiger seems to confront his mirror image that is being formed by a swarm of gnats. The work’s title suggests an unlikely imbalance of power.
Loading