How China's past and present have influenced this sculptor's work

Nillah Nyakoa talking to Daniel Krause

Daniel Krause’s creative and “wow-ing” works are emblematic of China’s profound past realities. Having witnessed China be on the move, this American sculptor has managed to immortalize it’s transformation by reassembling it’s history through incredible metalic sculptures that represent different parts of this society at different times, as the country morphed into a world class economic giant it is today. From the Terracotta Worriers to simple lifestyle observations, Daniel primarily uses bronze statues to exude the unique progressions in the Chinese society since the 1980’s and his interpretation of how realism turns into impressionism and abstract expressionism.

Daniel's sculpture on display in  New York.  Photo  credit: Daniel Krause

In 1987 Daniel completed his studies at UCSD and bought a one-way ticket to Beijing. While in Beijing, he started learning Mandarin and taught part time at the High School Attached to the People’s University of China. He then went to Xi’an to take the entrance exam for the Xi’an Academy of Art, to study near the Terracotta Soldiers. He was accepted to the Xi’an Academy, but instead enrolled at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (GAFA), in Southern China. The southern warmer climate was more suitable to sculpting outside all year round and was one of the best sculpture departments in China at the time. 

Daniel Krause standing next to his sculpture. Photo provided by Daniel Krause

Daniel moved to Guangzhou (Canton) in 1988 and completed his MFA at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. At the GAFA, Daniel studied under Liang Ming Cheng and Pan He two of China's most prominent contemporary sculptors. At GAFA Daniel changed his primary sculpting material to cast bronze. He lived with his family in Guangzhou until 2010 and taught at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art from 2005-2010. In 2011 Daniel moved to Beijing where he presently has a studio in the Black Bridge Art Community near 798 and teaches at the People’s University of China, School of Art.

Sculptures by Daniel Krause on display. Photo provided by Daniel Krause

Since moving to the Middle Kingdom, China’s development has continued to signpost the direction of his sculpting work. His unique historical, almost hard to describe pieces; crown him as the (arguably) unmatched foreign sculptor in China.

During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Daniel was  amongst the Olympic torch bearers in Guangzhou. 

Daniel Krause  Olympic torch run. Photo provided by Daniel Krause

Key influences on Daniel Krause’s work have been Alberto Giacometti, David Smith, Juan Miro, Vasily Kandinsky, Umberto Boccioni, as well as the art of Ancient Egypt and Japan, Chinese Buddhist figures, stone grottoes and ancient bronzes, and of course the terracotta warriors of the First Emperor who first inspired him.

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