Artists

Shi Men was born in the Anhui province of China. 

Structure and form have always held a fascination for Shi Men before he could even run. He can still remember that when he was about 3, his family members were ploughing fields or sowing seeds while he was sitting by the sidewalk. He remembers their movement, their strength and their glowing skin color. At other times his older cousins took him to the only bathhouses in the town. Human figures, especially sensual female figures, left an impression on him.

He intended to pursue a career in arts. After a long discussion with his parents, he was finally able to study drama and literature in university. Since his graduation, he has never ceased to search for creative expressions, from music to films.

In 2012, he and his wife traveled to Rome, inspired by an exhibition about Dalì at the Vittoriano Museum complex, after which he began to create works of art in lacquer. In 2017, Shi Men came to Florence for the first time, amazed by the beauty he discovered in the city, and became determined to make bronze sculptures.

In 2018, Shi Men started a new chapter in his life, bringing his first sculptural piece, Einstein Symphony No. 96, to Florence to be cast in yellow bronze. After this first amazing creation, Shi Men was forced by his inner driving love for art, to create more sculptures. He developed  the "Einstein Collection", inspired by one of the most influential, intelligent and controversial men in human history. His intent was to uncover the man who discovered the nature of time and space. The results are three different sculptures that are a testament of human nature and the scientific discoveries as well as the burden and responsability that these discoveries carry within itself. These sculptures were widely inspired by the scientific researches made on Einstein's brain, which has been sectioned and is currently displayed in the  Mutter Museum of Philadelphia. While observing the anatomical portions of the late genius' mind he was so impressed that he translated them into these artistic, somehow dancing, silhouettes.

Another collection of sculptures created by Shi Men are the "Bodyguards of the Art Palace", in which he sees two masters of the Renaissance, Leonardo and Michelangelo in a juxstaposition with the ancient chinese culture of the Vajra warriors, drawing inspiration from the culture of the Chu State (1030-223 BCE), in hoimage to these two remarkable men.