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Tan Zi Hao Malaysian, b. 1989
The Right Hand of You, 2023
Copper
150 x 35 cm
The Right Hand of You traces the evolution of the character “又” (yòu), meaning “again”, from the oracle bone script to its current regular form. Originally a pictograph of the...
The Right Hand of You traces the evolution of the character “又” (yòu), meaning “again”, from the oracle bone script to its current regular form. Originally a pictograph of the right hand “又”, the character becomes more abstract and simplified in due course. The original pictograph of the hand also forms the radical “????” that leads to the creation of other characters such as “友” (yǒu; meaning “friend”), “右” (yòu; meaning “right-hand side”), “有” (yǒu; meaning “to have”), and more. Presented with One of You Has Expired as a loose couplet, The Right Hand of You reflects the artist’s broader interests in language and temporality.
*The calligraphic style of The Right Hand of You is digitally constructed based on select works of Tsue Ta Tee (1903–1974), a Nanyang calligrapher known for his innovative combination of ancient and modern scripts.
*The calligraphic style of The Right Hand of You is digitally constructed based on select works of Tsue Ta Tee (1903–1974), a Nanyang calligrapher known for his innovative combination of ancient and modern scripts.