A ‘GRAIN OF RICE’ IS THE TITLE OF A PAIR OF BRONZE SCULPTURES CREATED BY BASED UPON IN 2015. BASED UPON WERE COMMISSIONED TO CREATE THE WORKS BY HSBC TO COMMEMORATE THEIR 150TH ANNIVERSARY. ONE IS A PUBLIC, EXTERNAL WORK STANDING AT 10.36 METERS HIGH ON QUEENS ROAD CENTRAL, HONG KONG, WHILST THE SECOND, AT 6 METERS TALL, STANDS IN THE LOBBY OF THEIR LONDON HEADQUARTERS AT 8 CANADA SQUARE. THE FORM REPRESENTS A SOLITARY GRAIN OF RICE. UNASSUMING AND UNTRADEABLE, THE SINGLE GRAIN IS OF MODEST VALUE. BUT, AS ONE OF AN INTERDEPENDENT COHESIVE ACCUMULATION, ITS WORTH IS LIMITLESS. REAPING THE REWARDS OF A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST BEGINS WITH THE METICULOUS REGARD OF EACH AND EVERY GRAIN, REPRESENTING THE MUTUAL PROMISE BETWEEN THE BANK AND ITS CUSTOMERS TO NURTURE EVERY PENNY. EXAMINING WITH GREATER AWARENESS, THE VIEWER IS INVITED TO ENTER THE HEART OF THE DISSECTED GRAIN. ITS POLISHED, COCOON-LIKE CORE CHALLENGES PERCEPTION VISUALLY AND ACOUSTICALLY, AND RESONATES A GOLDEN METAMORPHIC POTENTIAL FOR THOSE PREPARED TO EXPLORE THE WORLD OR THEMSELVES WITH SUCH ACUITY. A NARRATIVE TAPESTRY OF 150 ARCHIVAL ENGRAVINGS WRAPS THE WORK, FORMING ITS OUTER MEMBRANE. THE LYRICAL BRONZE SKIN MARKS THE ERAS, LOCATIONS AND LANDMARK MOMENTS OF ITS STORY SPANNING A CENTURY AND A HALF. MANY OF THE ETCHINGS CARVED INTO THE TOTEMIC CASTING PORTRAY THE COMPANY’S ‘INDIVIDUAL GRAINS’: IT SHOWS TEAM PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE COMMUNITY OF GLOBAL EMPLOYEES WHOSE COLLECTIVE COOPERATION HAS BUILT THE BANK SINCE ITS FOUNDATION IN 1865. IMPOSING AND RECEPTIVE, COMMANDING AND NURTURING, THE WORK IS AT ONCE MASCULINE AND FEMININE, EMBODYING A HARMONY OF YIN AND YANG. A CONGRUENCE OF EAST AND WEST, IT CELEBRATES THE TWO BEATING HEARTS OF THE ORGANIZATION IN HONG KONG AND LONDON. THE PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS BOOK HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY THE BASED UPON ARTISTS OVER THE TWO YEARS IT TOOK TO DEVELOP AND MAKE THE SCULPTURES.
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A GRAIN OF RICE DESIGNED BY BASED UPON WWW.BASEDUPON.COM FIRST PUBLISHED 2015 © 2014 BASED UPON BOOKS PRODUCED BY ARTISAN BOOKS WWW.ARTISANBOOK.CO.UK BASED UPON LTD IS REGISTERED IN ENGLAND & WALES WITH THE REGISTERED NUMBER 5425139. THE REGISTERED OFFICE IS: 4 - 8 SWAN ROAD LONDON SE18 5TT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED, WITHOUT EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF BASED UPON LTD.