Once upon a time, there was a magical forest where geese continuously hatched golden eggs, and those eggs nurtured the growth of trees in the forest. People regarded the geese and the forest as divine gifts from heaven, treating them with great care and reverence. One day, a bear from afar appeared, hungry and eager to devour all the geese for a feast. The people pleaded with the bear not to harm the geese and the forest. Confused, the bear wondered, “Why can't I eat the geese when I am clearly the more powerful creature?”
The bear entered the forest and saw the geese standing still, expressionless, constantly laying eggs. The bear felt a mix of confusion, anger, and fear, so it swallowed a pile of golden eggs. Suddenly, the bear was struck with intense stomach pain and collapsed to the ground. In the end, the dead bear grew into a tree full of golden fruits, becoming part of the forest…
Keng Yi-Wen uses elements of ancient fairy tales combined with mythical beast legends to craft this allegorical story. The story begins with the life of a forest and ends with the renewal of life. This exhibition, featuring small sculptures, creates stop-motion puppet-like characters and scenes from the story, including the forest, golden eggs, geese, bear, and mythical beasts that shape the world’s perspective. Using sculptural ceramic materials, the unique texture brings soft contours to life, while the playful character design and poetic observation reflect the artist’s values on life, spanning the boundary between life and death and exploring the meaning of the body's existence and eventual disappearance.