Sharkura: Shamurai

Sharkuza: Shamurai, by Mu Pan (Taichung City, Taiwan, 1976) presents us with a gang of apes armed with spears fighting against sharks, orcas and sharkuzas, hybrid characters, somewhere between sharks and yakuza, who often appear in the artist’s work. The sea is a recurring feature in Mu Pan’s work, the scene of numerous battles, and monkeys also play a key role in his work, as they represent human nature in its rawest form. Mu Pan has made the mixture of cultures his personal brand. His works present multiple narrative layers, personal reflections on human behaviour where humour and violence often come together.