Everyone is The Other

The idea for this piece emerged after an inspiring conversation I had with a painting student. He had just arrived from Berlin, where he had studied philosophy for several years. His words were like paintings in themselves, merging ideas of famous thinkers with his own thoughts. I saw openings I had not seen before and was struck with awe by his unwavering holistic approach to life and what it is to be human. His unpacking of a quote by Heidegger, “Everyone is the other, and no one is himself,” really struck a chord with me and I knew I had to sculpt him as an impersonation of it.

My intention was to let the artwork speak to the soul of humankind and its shared identity, while challenging the mind to exit its comfort zone of simplifications such as we and them. The piece explores the complexities of self and the other and invites us to consider how we see others and how we see ourselves. The subject's contemplative gaze and poised presence evoke a sense of introspection and empathy–qualities we all have but are so easily lost.

This piece is not just a work of art but a philosophical inquiry and a testament to the universal human experience. I want it to provoke thought and stimulate a dialogue about our shared human condition.

Jinglong, thank you so much for inspiring this work!

Year sculpted: 2023.