Split III

1976
Ciment-fondu
53 x 84 x 33 cm


In its angularity and its combination of bronze with
ciment-fondu, this work stands apart from the rest of
the artist's oeuvre. It belongs to a series inspired by
the demolition of old shop houses in Chinatown
initiated in the mid 1970s. Ng was deeply saddened
by the destruction of this historical part of the city.
"It was like a split to the heart of man. Humanity,
represented by the broken chips and textural
surfaces of crumbling walls, was torn asunder and
mankind reduced to a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes
the parts do not fit" (c. 1990)