施力仁1955年生於台灣彰化縣，台灣雕塑學會成員。近年來以《金鋼犀牛》、《犀牛家族》等系列創作聞名國內外藝術圈，人稱犀牛老爹(Mr. Rhino)；早期發表銅雕作品有：《裸女》、《豹豹系列》、《麻雀群》、《台灣土狗》、《赤兔戰馬》等系列。

2017年受邀參加威尼斯雙年展，其大型景觀雕塑《金鋼犀牛》更成為威尼斯雙年展於公共花園「瑪莉雷瑞莎公園（Marinaressa park）」展出的首位華人藝術家創作作品，2018年主辦單位特別邀請《金鋼犀牛》繼續坐鎮在瑪莉雷瑞莎公園，出展2018年威尼斯建築雙年展，此舉創下首位台灣藝術家作品橫跨藝術和建築雙領域大展肯定，其展出位置乃是此雙年展的標誌性公共展區，是由威尼斯當地政府主導開發的樞紐場域，而《金鋼犀牛》榮幸能成為威尼斯潟湖邊上最閃耀的景觀。

施力仁的《金鋼犀牛》以當代的語言來表現古老傳統題材，造形富涵當代藝術的手法和後現代主義的奇想，創造出「金屬鉚釘」、「硬邊結構」、「古代鎧甲」、「大姆指」⋯⋯等造型元素的犀牛，實踐對當代議題的思考與關注，內斂地訴說東方哲思與精神。2018年建築雙年展結束後，《金鋼犀牛》獲得義大利文藝復興重要古城巴薩諾之城市博物館邀請，與經典大師「杜勒」進行跨越五百年古今東西藝術對話，藝術成就受到國際藝術領域肯定。

犀牛文化在施力仁個人的藝術史中佔了非常重要的地位，寫實樣貌的犀牛披上鎧甲被視為一種象徵性的轉換與處理，使其擬人化、人格化、幾何形體化，從自然、人文到機械化的動物形態，也像似我們人類進化史的隱喻。他將犀牛角雕塑成大拇指，指紋同心圓象徵著生生不息與永恆──不僅代表著每一個人和每個物種的本質，也表達了對生命的敬畏，犀牛角的形狀正好構成一種衝破桎梏的突出感，昂然向上指向天際，產生一種積極正面的精神力量。犀牛在施力仁手上不只是一個動物化、人格化的象徵，它成為人類對大自然環境的泛指，對我們人類終極命運的深層關切，而使作品更能觸動人心。

 

Shih Li-Jen was born in Changhua County, Taiwan, 1955, artist based in China and Taiwan. He started to create sculptures, and “King Kong Rhino” is one of Shih’s main representative. His previous series of works “Naked Female”, “Leopard series”, “Flocks of Sparrow”, “The Formosan Mountain Dog”, “Swift Horse”, “Rhino Family series” etc. made by bronze.

In 2017, Shih participated the most famous event, La Biennale di Venezia in Venice, Italy. As an Asia artist, Shih’s rhino sculpture set a new record for two years in a row, in art and architecture of La Biennale di Venezia (2017/ 2018). The “King Kong Rhino” was installed in the most major place where local people usually ferry the boat back and forth daily, and just in the Giardini Della Marinaressa.

Shih uses the contemporary language to reveal the ancient traditional subject. The shape of the “King Kong Rhino” contains postmodern thought and future thinking, with many elements, for example metal rivet, hard sided structure, and ancient armor etc. The unique style practice the issue which happened in nowadays and concern the eastern thoughts of knowledge. In 2018, after the architecture of La Biennale di Venezia. Shih Li-Jen was invited to be the King Kong Rhino Waiting for Albrecht Dürer “A conversation between Ancient World and Modern Societies” by Museo Civico di Bassano del Grappa in Palazzo Sturm, Bassano del Grappa, Italy. His art achievement has been recognized in the world.

The culture of Rhino has become the main idea of Shih Li-Jen's personal art career. In the beginning, Shih’s rhino is a realistic appearance, then it transfers to wear armor. Wearing armor as symbolism for Shih. He personifies the Rhino, and transfers to the geometric shape. From nature, humanity to the mechanization of animal form, it is also a metaphor for the history of human evolution. He sculpts the rhino horn as a thumb. The fingerprint of concentric circle symbolizes life and growth in nature and eternal. It represents the nature of each individual and species, but also the reverence for life. The shape of the rhino horn is just a kind of outburst of breaking the shackles, marching toward the sky. It has been born a positive spirit and power. The rhino is not only an animal, but a symbol of personality in Shih Li-Jen’s creation. It is a deep concern of human nature for us, refers to the ultimate fate of human beings. Which makes the work deeply into everyone’s heart?