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?