Chng has referred to these sculptures as “cultural spheres” (文化球) that articulate her love of Chinese culture. Each is adorned with Chinese phrases, literary terms and quotations drawn from a rich reservoir of sources, including Tang Dynasty poet Bai Ju Yi and more contemporary authors like Ling Jie Fang (pen name Er Yue He). The varied calligraphy styles reveal that Chng and her friends were involved in inscribing the text on these spheres themselves. When the first version of this work was exhibited in 2006, viewers were encouraged to touch, hug, kick, and even hit the spheres. The spheres are filled with bells which produce clear, crisp sounds as people interact with them. Some of these spheres were used in the performance Red Dust by Van Body Theatre in 2007. The work exemplifies the collaborative mode of making that characterized much of Chng’s practice from the 1990s onward. By working with friends, who ranged from her students to her assistants, Chng was able to continue practicing through a wide variety of media. Kai Lam assisted her with the initial fabrication of this work during the mid-2000s.
