Anthony Key, (Book of Numbers, 2011). Photo: Karen Tam
Artist Anthony Key creates a new commission for upcoming exhibition Entanglement: the Ambivalence of Identity
Anthony Key’s sculptures use food to playfully unpick certain ‘Chinese’ stereotypes. His new installation for the ‘Entanglement’ exhibition will be displayed in the window of Rivington Place and incorporates 8,000 chopsticks bound together. It draws attention to the restaurants and take-aways around the UK. The above image is the artist creating the work in his studio.
Each chopstick has the name and address of a Chinese restaurant handwritten on it by the artist.
The chopsticks are then woven together using thread. This technique refers to a traditional menu presentation of bound bamboo from China, and was also used in ancient times to create books.
Anthony-Key, Book of Numbers (detail), 2011. Photo: Karen Tam
As the process is very intricate, while creating the artwork Anthony has had to work on the piece in shifts over a period of several weeks, creating three panels of the work per day.
Previous work by the artist
Anthony Key lives and works in the UK. Recent exhibitions include Pot Luck, PM Gallery, London, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales and The New Art Gallery, Walsall (2009); English Lounge, Tang Contemporary, Beijing (2009); Boutique, Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester (2007). Anthony Key’s parents are Chinese and he grew up in South Africa.
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- Self P0rtrait, Anthony Key 2007 (glass, soy)
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- Anthony Key, Trespassing 2000
Interested to find out more?
Anthony Key will give a free exhibition tour on 12 November, book now to reserve your place