"Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove”

“Are those the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove?”

That's right—the artist himself, the 4 BCS onsite dogs (A-Won, Niu-Niu, Ann-Ann, Duen-Duen), Ki Ki the cat, and a little bird can be spotted on the surface of one of BCS’s warehouses, making up “Leisure Time in the Bamboo Forest,” a scene different from that of the Jing Dynasty Seven Sages, a group of literati that had found peace and refuge in simple, rustic life during political unrest in the 3rd century China.

With a background in traditional ink painting, artist PAN Yu Yo has attempted to experiment with a variety of spaces since he left the academia. Methods derived from his traditional training are applied to his public art pieces. “Old Horse Knows the Way (2007)” located on the external wall of BCS was PAN’s very first outdoor piece. “Leisure Time in the Bamboo Forest (2010),” a piece celebrating BCS’s 15th anniversary, depicts the unique Seven Sages enjoying afternoon tea in a bamboo grove. Facing the warehouse on which the mural was painted is the actual view of Guanyin Mountain and Tamsui River, across from which an overpowering condominium complex stands. Are people living in the concrete forest of a modern city able to find a place to relax and locate a peace of mind? “The contentment of my depicted characters in the bamboo forest, while set against the hustle and bustle of the city, seems strikingly out of place,” commented PAN, “what kind of lifestyle are urban dwellers really striving for?”