RuShi_Portrait.

RuShi_Portrait (2024) is an expanded series of paintings derived from my earlier interactive installation work, RuShi (2018), which was awarded “Best of the Show” at Siggraph 2019 in Los Angeles. While the original work explored interactivity and discovery for participants, this series is a personal exploration of pioneers and creators who have been lifelong inspirations for me (e.g., John Lennon, Andy Warhol, Sam Altman, etc.). I am curious how they would appear if I used their birth dates to generate these five-element-structured portraits. RuShi_Portrait is a self-portrait without a face, yet it vividly captures the essence of individuals in a sensational manner, portraying personal identity through elemental symbols rather than physical features. This work marries ancient methodologies with contemporary technology, illustrating our enduring desire to use technology to better understand ourselves.

This series harnesses the ancient Chinese fortune-telling algorithm known as BaZi, or "eight words," which uses a person's birth date to predict destiny through eight characters associated with five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. This method, revered since the Song Dynasty, maps life paths through elemental interactions. By using birth dates as input, the algorithm generates a structure of eight characters encoded with the relationships of the five elements. It is akin to today’s generative art, but instead of Artificial Intelligence, it utilizes Ancient Intelligence.

RuShi translates to "As Is," signifying unaltered reality, echoing the introductory words of Buddhist scriptures that convey purity and direct transmission from the Buddha without external interpretation. For me, art is always an urge to explore and express my curiosities. I want to understand who I am and who I will become. This curiosity led me to spend over ten years studying ancient fortune-telling algorithms, initially hoping ancient technology might reveal some form of “truth.” However, what ultimately fascinates me is not its predictive aspect but its cultural significance—how it distills and condenses human fears and desires into the simple relationships of five elements.

What surprises me about this work is that, despite the diverse outputs represented by different combinations of the five elements, it reveals a profound truth: "We are different, yet we are all the same." This realization humbles me and enhances my appreciation for the unique balance or imbalance inherent in each of us.

RuShi_Portrait explores the interplay between big data and prediction, and fate and superstition, raising questions about our genuine needs and desires in an era dominated by data and artificial intelligence. In today’s digital landscape, RuShi challenges us to consider if big data and AI are the new superstitions, paralleling age-old practices of fortune-telling. It positions the data scientist as a modern-day oracle, interpreting cryptic data as a fortune-teller would with mystical signs, prompting us to question our acceptance and understanding of these predictive tools.

Like AI-generated art, the fortune-telling algorithm in RuShi produces outcomes based on inputted information, providing a new way of seeing and interpreting our existence—mirroring the fundamental purpose of art. This piece strips away cultural and materialistic interpretations, focusing solely on the elemental—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—presented "As Is." It eschews traditional predictions, instead offering a visual and temporal exploration of change and the intrinsic beauty found in each person's elemental balance. Through RuShi, we are invited not to foresee the future but to appreciate the present, engaging in a practice of presence, attention, and gratitude toward the natural processes that define and shape our lives.