BACKGROUND:
WHO IS THE POET? is the latest sculptural works from Los Angeles-based sculptor Chris Ingram. The series of life-size human skulls are now available for a limited time, in various media. The “Shi-Jin” or “Poet” series includes the first release of amber resin and crystal-covered skulls.
The CRYSTAL (NORTH) and AMBER (EAST) skulls are the first in the “WHO IS THE POET?” four-part series.
HISTORY behind the series name SHI-JIN:
The Japanese word for poet is 詩人, which is pronounced \ˈshē-jēn \, with long “eee” sounds in both syllables. And similar to what we call in the west as a “play on words,” eastern poets would assemble phrases using Kanji characters with similar pronunciations but different meanings. We’re doing the same thing here. The phrase, “Who is the Poet?” translates in Japanse as 詩人は誰ですか, which is phonetically pronounced “Shijin wa daredesuka?” And although they are different Kanji, the word “Shijin” in Chinese is a reference to the 4 guardians of the 4 compass directions.