CAFA Summer of Iron and Steel

Hosted by the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing (CAFA), the Chinese Artists Association Sculpture Art Committee and the Taiyuan Municipal People’s Government, the 2018 China Taiyuan International Youth Metal Sculpture Creation Camp ushered in experts and scholars from major art institutes across the country including three international students from Australia, Greece and Bulgaria.

These 42 young artists created independent and complete works from scrap steel and metal. Australian student Nigel Dobson was fortunate to be a part of the initiative, an opportunity from upcoming Sydney Sculpture Conference Partner CAFA.

Nigel Dobson, a 1^styear post-grad student, studying a Masters in Sculpture at the National Art School was invited through Sculpture by the Sea to participate in the camp.

Without knowing what the opportunity involved, given short notice, asking no questions, Nigel spent 30 days making a sculpture in Taiyuan, the capital and largest city of Shanxi province, the People’s Republic of China. Taiyuan is one of the main manufacturing bases of China.

Nigel was assigned a translator, a welder and an assistant, and completed a work titled ‘Space Force B-15’, selected as one of the eight most outstanding works produced during the camp.

Citing the experience as a surreal once in a lifetime opportunity, Nigel plans to apply to be part of Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2019.