典藏單位:國立中正紀念堂管理處

館藏編號:CR09700300

李秉圭

尺寸:110x45x4(含框)

李秉圭（1949-）為臺灣重要木雕工藝藝術家，出生於鹿港，為「薪傳獎」第一屆得主李松林之子。李秉圭為雕刻世家，開臺祖克鳩公在清道光年間自福建省永春來臺參與龍山寺修建，自此在臺灣落葉生根。李秉圭克紹箕裘，於1981年得到臺灣省主席藝文獎，1997年得到第五屆全球文化藝術木雕類薪傳獎，2011年獲得彰化「百歲百傑」殊榮。
傳統木匠以大木作為主，通常參與建築工程建設，往往是傳統建築建造時的靈魂人物。隨著時代變遷，傳統建築的建設逐漸侷限在宗教建築，建築材料的改變也使木匠行業逐漸式微。因此李秉圭不同於李松林的作品，因應時代變遷的趨勢，他的作品更趨向於藝術性的表現，將木雕之美加以濃縮，錘鍊藝術之美，使木雕藝術可因應大時代變貌。
本件作品是用淺浮雕的方式製作，淺浮雕介乎平面與立體之間，凹凸的光影增添了平面繪畫所沒有的視覺效果。作品主題為彌勒菩薩的面部與右手，菩薩面部向右，眼睛微微下垂，右手拇指與無名指相觸，靠近面部。此像是所謂「思惟菩薩」像，為彌勒菩薩早期的形象之一，主要出現在北朝時期，這樣的形象也流傳到了韓國與日本，日本中宮寺、廣隆寺等思惟菩薩像為日本國寶。此像或有取材於日本思惟菩薩造型之處。菩薩像上方另有一幅書法，書「彌勒菩薩」並落款。(506字)

Li Bing-Gui (1949 -) is a significant Taiwanese wood carving artist, born in Lukang, and the son of Li Song-Lin, the first recipient of the "Xin Chuan Award." Coming from a family of sculptors, his ancestor came to Taiwan from Yongchun, Fujian Province during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty to participate in the construction of Longshan Temple. Since then, the family has taken root in Taiwan. Li Bing-Gui inherited his family's craftsmanship and received the Taiwan Provincial Governor's Arts and Culture Award in 1981, the Fifth Global Culture and Art Wood Carving Xin Chuan Award in 1997, and the "Century Outstanding" honor from Changhua in 2011.
Traditional carpenters, primarily engaged in large woodwork, often played a crucial role in architectural construction, especially in traditional buildings. As times changed, traditional architecture became increasingly confined to religious buildings, and changes in building materials led to the decline of the carpentry profession. Thus, unlike Li Song-Lin's works, Li Bing-Gui's creations evolved to reflect the trends of the times, focusing more on artistic expression. He condensed the beauty of wood carving and refined its artistic appeal, ensuring that wood carving art could adapt to the changing eras.
This work is created using low relief, a technique that lies between flat and three-dimensional, with the shadows enhancing visual effects not found in flat paintings. The work features the face and right hand of Maitreya Bodhisattva, with the face turned to the right, eyes slightly downcast, and the thumb and ring finger of the right hand touching, close to the face. This image represents the "Thinking Bodhisattva," an early depiction of Maitreya Bodhisattva primarily seen in the Northern Dynasties period. This form also spread to Korea and Japan, with famous Thinking Bodhisattva statues in Chugu-ji and Kōryū-ji in Japan being considered national treasures. The statue in this piece may draw inspiration from the Japanese Thinking Bodhisattva form. Above the Bodhisattva, there is calligraphy that reads "Maitreya Bodhisattva," with a signature.