In the Chinese zodiac, 2019 is the year of the pig. Although much maligned in Western culture, the pig represents good fortune in Eastern traditions. As a symbol of wealth and sustenance, the pig has been represented in Chinese art for over 2,000 years. The basis for this symbolism comes from pigs’ popularity as a source of food for all classes. Through this, the pig has come to be a symbol of feasting in China.
The Chinese symbol for home includes the symbol for pig, with the character featuring a pig under a roof. The pig has been a domesticated animal in China for many years and it was common for them to live with rural families. In a centuries-old ritual, it was tradition for small pigs sculpted from jade or soapstone to be placed in the hands of the dead, as it was believed to bring prosperity in the afterlife.
Figurines of the Chinese zodiac are not only about bringing prosperity. On the contrary, their function is more aligned with the auspicious and brings balance to the holder. The Chinese belief system asserts that everyone is a part of the universe as a whole. As part of the zodiac, the pig represents particular characteristics that, when put with the other animals, form spiritual alignment.
Similarly to the Western zodiac, the Chinese signs traditionally attribute certain characteristics to people according to their horoscopes. Those born in the year of the pig are considered to be hardworking and single-minded, determined and brave, and compassionate and generous. Pigs are independent but trusting, and make devoted, loving, romantic partners. Throughout China’s incredible history, pigs have remained enduring symbols of these largely positive characteristics.
Deng Xiaoping’s policies in the late 1970s modernised Chinese art as it provided artists with the opportunities to learn about art from around the world. Importantly, the policies also gave artists the freedom to work outside of social realism sanctions. Recent art movements include the Post-’70s Ego Generation where artists born into China’s one-child policy typically take the self as the subject, rather than the collective. As contemporary Chinese art explores broader social issues, it is attracting the attention of collectors worldwide. Managing Director of Oak Management AS, Joey Horn, is an avid collector of Chinese art.
Contemporary Chinese artists are increasingly exploring Chinese identity using symbolism associated with signs of the zodiac. It seems that globalism has had a scurrilous effect on the symbolism of the pig; Western associations of gluttony, laziness and greed play on negative representations of the animal. Artist Chen Wenling frequently uses the pig as a symbol of the human depravity propagated in Western culture. The future symbolism of the pig could be forever changed by the Western influence on Chinese art.
