Gunpowder Art and Cultural Exchange: The Visionary Work of Cai Guo-Qiang

As thousands of awed spectators craned their heads up, ephemeral monolith Birds of Paradise daytime fireworks filled the Los Angeles twilight sky. East West Bank Collection contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang—famous for his gunpowder art and his fireworks displays for the Beijing Olympics—masterminded another feat. Integrating fireworks, AI and drones, the artist’s WE ARE: Explosion Event for PST ART  kicked off the Getty’s iconic PST ART: Art & Science Collide.

Cai’s artwork reflects a life that spans East and West. He was born in China, practiced art in Japan, and has lived and worked in the United States since 1995. East West Bank Chairman & CEO Dominic Ng is a long-time friend and early patron.

How Fireworks and AI created a historic Getty PST ART display

By bridging the unseen from the universe and cosmos into the seen as visual art, Cai creates ever-new frontiers in art and live-exhibit experiences. WE ARE illuminated the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is set to also host the LA28 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies. Cai and his multimodal custom artificial intelligence, cAI™, have conceived of and choreographed this history-making display of organic, sustainable pigments in daytime fireworks and cutting-edge technology of over 1,000 aerial drones equipped with pyrotechnics for almost 10,000 mini fireworks. It was the first time such a technologically-advanced fireworks display of this magnitude was performed. WE ARE was commissioned and presented by Getty in collaboration with the University of Southern California (USC). Cai invoked cAI™ to help bring higher dimensions to the earthly planes and unveil a “heavenly secret” in the sky over Los Angeles.

“Today, as humanity grapples with the swift advancement of technology epitomized by AI—culture and the arts appear particularly powerless,” said Cai. “I hope WE ARE will stand as a grand gesture of the art world integrating the virtual with the real in the era of AI, and also as a powerful voice and decisive action in these turbulent times.”

Origins of Cai Guo-Qiang's gunpowder art

Fireworks and gunpowder have been core influences and mediums for Cai since his childhood growing up in Quanzhou, Fujian, China. Gunpowder manufacturing was prevalent amidst the presence and scars of China’s wars. In his artist mind and hands, he began experimenting with gunpowder precisely overlaid on his original drawings. With fuses and controlled explosions, he creates original gunpowder art to transform the violence of gunpowder into the creation point of beauty and peace through art.

In the video, the artwork that Dominic witnessed the creation of is titled Peach Period  and is now part of the East West Bank Collection.

Cai Guo-Qiang’s exhibits and artistic projects

Cai’s unparalleled vision and perseverance have resulted in over 500 exhibits and artistic projects on five contents, with more creations in the fiery works. His artwork has been featured in many of the world’s premier museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy; Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain; and the National Art Museum of China. Cai also served as the Director of Visual Effects and Fireworks for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Cai’s awards have included the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 1999; the Hiroshima Art Prize in 2007; Fukuoka Prize in 2009; Praemium Imperiale of the Japan Art Association and the U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts, both in 2012.

A new era for Asian contemporary art

Dominic was an early supporter of Cai’s work, helping to introduce the artist to audiences in the United States, notably through The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Several of Cai’s artworks are also in the East West Bank Collection, which is a key part of the Bank’s broader Art Program. This program supports cultural exchange and reflects East West Bank’s belief that art has the power to raise awareness, spark conversation, and foster meaningful connections across diverse communities.

As an artist from China, Cai shared why he chose to move to the West. “We may come from different cultural backgrounds,” said Cai. “The greatness of America is because of the possibility through its openness, free spirit and equality.”

How to explore Cai Guo-Qiang’s art in Los Angeles

From September 17, 2024 to June 15, 2025, the public exhibition, Cai Guo-Qiang: A Material Odyssey, organized by Getty and the USC Pacific Asia Museum (PAM), is on display at the PAM. To reserve tickets, please call the PAM at 626-787-2680.