Exquisite Wooden Sculptures Move Like Computer Glitches

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A post shared by 韓旭東 (@han_hsu_tung)

For three decades, Han Hsu Tung has managed to stop time. With his exquisite wooden sculptures, Tung freezes his subjects in mid-motion, pixelating limbs, faces, and entire bodies as if they’re buffering, awaiting the moment in which they may move once again. Recently, however, the Taiwanese artist has revisited how he represents movement entirely, opting instead to integrate it more literally.

All Beings is one such sculpture. The work, which, as of July 2025, is nearly complete, depicts what appears to be a bust of the Buddha, his eyes peacefully drawn shut even as pixels scatter across his face. Resting atop his head is another Buddha, alongside other ornamental details that have been meticulously carved into the soft wood. What distinguishes All Beings from Tung’s previous work is its mechanical elements: several of the sculpture’s components slowly glide in and out of place, with the bust’s head splitting in two as it ascends upwards. Similar to his other sculptures, All Beings simulates a glitch without relying upon digital interventions, but, of course, it takes it a step further. Here, that glitch is enacted in real time—not just in our own imaginations.

The artist has shared similar sculptures, including one in which a man stands rigidly and stares blankly ahead. His stiff posture doesn’t last long, as it’s interrupted by rhythmic movements in his chest and shoulders. These gestures resemble both breathing and the steady clack of piano keys, increasing the sculpture’s sense of poetry. Later, the man’s head also shifts, the right side of his skull easing up into the air as his bottom lips open like those of a marionette doll. Just like All Beings, Tung’s famous glitch effect becomes an animating force, where humans and technology merge into one singular being.

To learn more about the artist, visit Han Hsu Tung’s website and follow him on Instagram.