This work was made in 2012 by Wang Keping and is called “Maternité (Maternity),” a mother holding her child. The mother and child is a recurring theme in his works and this particular piece emphasises tenderness through its sinuous curved lines as if she is rocking her child. Made of maple wood, the dark color is attained through a process of charring and burnishing finely. Known for his sensuous wooden sculptures, Wang works primarily in hard woods from France, where he has lived since 1984. He pays particular attention to the natural elements of the wood itself incorporating them into his work. With a natural intuition of space and balance, his sculptures reveal the essence of the wood with its grain, knots, curves, or even its flaws. Wang’s works gracefully Inspire subtle emotions. He describes his sculptural process as a collaboration of what the wood has to give him and what he can bring to the wood.