Qiu Tianren’s Sculpture From the Same Root,Why do we harm Explores Materiality and Form in Contemporary Art
BEIJING, Jan. 13, 2026 — Since its debut in 2026, “From the Same Root, Why do we harm”, a large-scale sculpture by Chinese artist Qiu Tianren, has drawn sustained attention for its exploration of material transformation and sculptural structure. Through the reworking of metal and a symbolic formal language, the piece presents a contemporary reflection on human relationships and shared foundations.
The sculpture stands 150 cm tall, measuring 143 cm in width and depth, and weighs approximately 150 kilograms. It is primarily cast from copper and alloy materials, melted and reconstituted from bullet casings collected from different periods. By transforming spent bullet shells into a unified sculptural form, the artist emphasizes the physical layering of material memory embedded within the wo...
