Wang Ruilin‘s surreal animal sculptures radiate a simultaneous sense of wisdom and whimsy. His ongoing series, aptly titled Dreams, features a variety of otherworldly creatures, some supporting the weight of the world on their backs. Previously, we have featured his collection of flat-back whales, and Ruilin continues to impress with these stunning additions to his fantasy menagerie of placid beasts that hover between fantasy and reality.
The Bejing-based young artist captures a serenity within his sculptures that speaks volumes to his talents. Mountainous landscapes sprout from the ridges of the animals' spines, as each carving is created to be highly detailed and textured. A pair of horses rest on one another in perfect balance, a rhino sits and stares deeply into the distance–each surreal piece infused with a unique sense of wisdom.
Beyond the seemingly pensive appearance of each creature, the landscape-topped copper figures also offer a nod to myths of origin that reference a flat world supported on the shell of a giant turtle. Ruilin's work manages to combine elements of Eastern folklore with classical paintings of the region, interpreted with his personal experiences and dreams to create something rare and entirely surreal.
Ruilin's portfolio is filled with even more surreal animal sculptures, including those without landscapes on their backs:
