Hoho Kuo 郭后
Hail to the tree, 40 x 50 cm/each,
Four-panel work, Acrylics, 2025
表揚一棵樹, 布面壓克力, 2025
Courtesy of Artist

About Artworks

In Chinese traditional culture, ancient trees are not only symbols of nature but also living relics imbued with spirituality, history, and collective memory. Centuries-old trees within temple grounds are often regarded as incarnations of guardian deities, with devotees expressing reverence and gratitude by tying yellow ribbons or hanging floral offerings. The Buddhist practice of “circumambulating trees” further embodies a tribute to the cycles of nature and life.

The Hail to the Tree series employs acrylic as a medium, adopting a bold contemporary figurative style with expressive brushwork to capture the eternal and spiritual essence of trees, as well as the reverence for heaven, earth, nature, and ancestors.

These works are not mere depictions of landscapes but contemplations on the symbiotic relationship between nature, ancestral spirits, and humanity. Trees, as embodiments of the convergence of cosmic energy, stand resilient through wind and rain, safeguarding the peace of their surroundings. Through painting, I seek to evoke a sense of awe for harmonious coexistence, using this as a foundation to weave a cultural web connecting China and the world.

在中國傳統文化中，古樹不僅是自然的象徵，更是承載靈性、歷史與集體記憶的活文物。寺廟中的百年古樹常被視為護法神的化身，信徒透過繫黃絲帶、掛花等方式表達敬畏與感恩。佛教所倡導的 「繞樹」 傳統，也是對自然與生命循環的禮贊。

《表揚一棵樹》系列以丙烯為媒介，透過強烈的當代具象寫意風格，捕捉樹木所蘊含的永恆性與精神性及對天地、自然、祖宗的敬畏之心。

這些作品並非單純的風景描繪，而是對自然、祖靈與人類共生關係的沉思。樹，作為天地靈氣的聚合體，歷經風雨仍屹立不倒，守護一方水土的安寧。我試著透過繪畫，喚起人們對和平共生的敬畏之心，並以此為起點，編織一張連結中國與世界的文化之網。

Hoho Kuo studied painting under the guidance of her father, the artist Kuo Yu, from childhood. She graduated from the Stage Design Department of the Central Academy of Drama and later from the Directing Department of the Beijing Film Academy. Her directed commercial film ‘Lively City’ was awarded the Gold Lion Award at the China International Advertising Festival. Her paintings have been shortlisted for prestigious awards and exhibitions, including the John Moores Painting Prize (China). She has collaborated on art-commerce projects with brands including AMN Art Audio, UNTAP Fun Paint, GLORIA, and IMXS. She maintains active presence in the art world as both a painter and independent director.

Her practice is rooted in an ongoing dialogue between past and present, weaving together the spiritual legacy of Eastern aesthetics and the evolving possibilities of contemporary visual expression. Born into a family of artists in Anyang—one of China’s ancient capitals—she was immersed in traditional culture from an early age while receiving formal artistic training. Bridging theatrical space, cinematic storytelling, and painterly expression, she has developed a multidisciplinary approach that navigates between image and spirit. Her work unfolds along two interconnected paths: moving images provide a framework for narrative construction and the orchestration of time and space, while painting becomes a vehicle for transcending appearances and revealing deeper layers of human consciousness and spiritual experience.

郭后，自幼跟著父親畫家郭郁先生學習繪畫。先後畢業於中央戲劇學院舞台美術設計專業，北京電影學院導演系。執導廣告片《樂活城市》獲中國國際廣告片金獅獎。繪畫作品入圍約翰・莫爾繪畫獎 (中國) 等重要獎項與展覽。與 AMN 阿米納藝術音響、UNTAP 趣味塗料、GLORIA 歌莉亞、IMXS 等品牌均有藝術與商業合作。以畫家、獨立導演的身份活躍於藝術界。

她的藝術實踐是一場跨越時空的對話，連結著東方傳統美學的精神內核與當代視覺語言的表達邊界。出生於中國七朝古都安陽的藝術世家，深受傳統文化滋養，兼具專業系統訓練，形成融合戲劇空間、影像敘事與繪畫表現力的複合型創作維度。使其藝術始終存在雙重軌跡：影像賦予其作品強烈的敘事性與時空調度，而繪畫則成為她剝離表象、直擊精神內核的通道。