Sun Wukong

The wonder and challenge of physical existence are fundamental to all creatures. As a sculptor, I have devoted my life to how physical objects inform and enlighten our existence. A playground is the perfect space to discover who we are and what we want to be. 

Sun Wukong’s story is inspiring. If I were selected for this commission, I would like to focus on Sun Wukong’s relationship to the physical world. Being born of stone and able to carry mountains on his back, I imagine a playset that empowers the smallest youngsters to work as a team to move and manipulate a large puppet version of Sun Wukong, vastly bigger than themselves, through the wonder of simple mechanisms. 

I imagine a meeting of Archimedes and the Sun Wukong. Possibilities include a human-sized hamster wheel connected to a giant Monkey King puppet, animated by the children’s movement and play. Levers could control his eyes; a teeter-totter–style platform could move his head, powered by the collaboration of multiple children. The entire sculpture might even appear to levitate as it is hoisted by the wheel, which powers a winch.