Artists have a variety of methods to make their mark. Every Friday we will share a photograph of an #ArtistInAction. Cai Guo-Qiang (蔡国强, b. 1957) is a Chinese artist known for working with gunpowder in his drawings and installations that reflect upon Chinese history and the future of China under our contemporary global conditions. Growing up during the Cultural Revolution, Cai became accustomed to experiencing explosions that were either from canon blasts or celebratory fireworks. He explains that he “saw gunpowder used in both good ways and bad, in destruction and reconstruction.” Having participated in demonstrations and protests of the time, he witnessed social effects that have had a lasting effect on his practice. “In some sense,” Cai explains, “Mao Zedong influenced all artists from our generation with his utopian romance and sentiment." The use of gunpowder in his work reflects the Maoist tenet: “destroy nothing, create nothing.” Cai creates a drawing using the destructive mate...