Wu Jian’an
Leather, metal frame, LED light source
540 x 391 x 10cm
2008-2009
The Nine Layers of Heaven is a monumental work of hand-carved leather. Its visual language is rooted in the intricate motifs of traditional shadow puppetry, yet it adopts a contemporary perspective to innovate new imagery and challenge the scales of conventional carving. The result is a detailed visual map that feels alive and moving.
The iconography of the work features nine types of animals layered within one another: birds, humans with bird faces, human-headed birds, feathered immortals, humans, tigers, frogs, giant salamanders, and fish. These nine creatures are arranged in a sequence that travels from the highest heavens down to the deep sea.
These animals are locked in a continuous chain of devouring and encompassing. At the very center, a tiny bird bites a fish. As the layers grow larger, the roles shift: in the inner layers, a bird might eat a fish, but in the outer layers, a giant fish eventually swallows a giant bird. The adversaries in this cycle are fixed, but their dominance changes with their size. Thus, the work represents a single link in an infinite chain that can extend endlessly in both directions.
The adversaries in this cycle are fixed, but their dominance shifts: in the inner layers, where A is larger than B, A consumes B; in the outer layers, as B grows larger, it is B’s turn to consume A. Thus, The Nine Layers of Heaven represents a single segment of an infinite chain, capable of extending endlessly in both directions.
This work serves as a metaphor for a world where everything is “predestined.” It offers a subtle reminder that the boundaries we create—whether they are cultural or social roles—may be temporary or even absurd. By mixing mythical beings with real-world animals, Wu Jian’an pays tribute to ancient traditions while showing the limits of what we know. It suggests that behind our fixed knowledge, there is a raw vitality waiting to breathe new life into the world.
*Leather has long been widely used in traditional Chinese art. The materials presented here were not created specifically for this installation.