The Panther

His weary glance, from passing by the bars,

Has grown into a dazed and vacant stare;

It seems to him there are a thousand bars

And out beyond those bars the empty air.

The pad of his strong feet, that ceaseless sound

Of supple tread behind the iron bands,

Is like a dance of strength circling around,

While in the circle, stunned, a great will stands.

But there are times the pupils of his eyes

Dilate, the strong limbs stand alert, apart,

Tense with the flood of visions that arise

Only to sink and die within his heart.

—Rainer Maria Rilke

Translated by Jessie Lemont, 1918

01. Introduction

Daniel Pulman's Penumbra series intricately weaves together themes of confinement, transformation, and existential ambiguity. By exploring the liminal space between light and shadow, his work challenges viewers to confront their perceptions, offering a profound meditation on the human condition.

The term penumbra originates from astronomy, referring to the partially shaded region between the fully dark shadow (umbra) and direct light. In this transitional space, light is only partially blocked, producing a state that is neither entirely illuminated nor fully obscured. This ambiguity embodies a sense of liminality—a hallmark of penumbra. The concept also mirrors the human condition: the blurred boundary between reality and its interpretation, as well as the shifting borderlines between consciousness and the subconscious. In literature and philosophy, penumbra has long been a metaphor for exploring in-between states. It encompasses emotional ambiguity, moral dilemmas, cognitive uncertainty, and the interplay between clarity and obscurity in thought. Pulman's Penumbra series leverages this metaphor to investigate these boundaries, prompting reflection on how human beings navigate the complex terrains of perception and identity.

02. Encountering the Visual Process

Opening the draft version of the Penumbra series catalogue on a computer screen immediately captures the eye. As I moved the cursor and scrolled through the pages, the ongoing catalogue draft unfolded like a process in motion. The experience was akin to watching a semi-narrative, semi-abstract film. Dozens of artworks were interwoven with black-and-white photographs of the artist’s studio. Each image passed by like a film frame, with individual works juxtaposed against portraits of the artist’s workspace. This interplay of artworks and photographs created a dialogic reference system—works reflecting on other works, and the studio images providing additional context. Together, they enriched meaning and offered interpretative insights.

For Pulman, the series represents a meticulous layering of interior and exterior elements, weaving personal biography into the intricate interplay of reality and abstraction. Each piece forms part of a broader network, linking the art itself with its surrounding environment. For the viewer, however, the series invites a different kind of engagement: one where they re-edit, project, and interpret the works through their own experiences.¹

03. Animals—Zoos—Solitary Journeys

According to Daniel Pulman's reflections, the Penumbra series originated from recent solitary journeys across Asia, particularly in Taiwan and China. These travels to unfamiliar places provided Pulman with subtle yet profound creative stimuli. When a traveller temporarily leaves their usual environment, they gain distance from the "past" and its associated time-space. This detachment allows them to view their past experiences from new perspectives while reacting to the unfamiliar sights and sounds of a foreign land with heightened sensitivity, thereby fuelling artistic inspiration. The Penumbra painting series originated from Pulman’s experiences during his travels in the Fushun (撫順) area of Liaoning Province, northeastern China, between 2018 and 2024. During that time, he revisited the region several times and toured the Fushun Zoo, which housed several endangered Amur tigers.²

Over the course of eight months, Pulman developed the Penumbra paintings, which, from a visual standpoint, feature recurring motifs such as zoo visitors, enclosures, tiger platforms, and various animals including tigers, lions, and monkeys. One of the most striking elements in these paintings is the persistent presence of iron bars. Rendered with linear precision, the bars appear in diverse configurations and dominate every composition, acting as an ever-present shadow and metaphor for life’s cages. The tigers, meanwhile, are depicted either reclining or standing on the platforms in different postures. The animal cages are separated from the outside world by glass partitions, emphasising the isolation from the external environment. These partitions also serve as both literal and symbolic boundaries between the observer and the observed.

04. Tigers in Painting

The depiction of tigers and other animals has occupied a fascinating chapter in Western art history. Notable animal painters of the modern era, who often focused on horses, tigers, lions, or domesticated animals, include French Romantic painters Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863) and Théodore Géricault (1791–1824).3 Animal-themed paintings have historically explored a wide range of subjects: humanity's fascination with wild creatures like tigers and lions as “the other”, their role as spectacles of wonder, their therapeutic effect on humans, and even their use as symbols of imperialism. One prominent example is James Ward’s Fight Between a Lion and a Tiger (1797), which is widely interpreted as an allegory of British colonial rule. In this work, the lion represents Britain, while the Bengal tiger symbolises India. Similarly, John Tenniel (1820–1914), a renowned political cartoonist, drew inspiration from Ward’s depiction in his satirical illustration The British Lion's Vengeance on the Bengal Tiger (1870), reinforcing the colonial narrative.⁴

Pulman, having grown up in Britain, is well-versed in the historical colonial relationship between Britain and India. His Amur tigers, which appear to inhabit a cold wintry urban setting, stand in stark contrast to the exoticism found in historical British and European depictions of tigers, but perhaps subtly reflect on and critique this enduring imperial shadow. In a more modern sense, the concept of the zoo as a space for public observation of animals dates back to the late 18th century, with the establishment of the first such facility in Paris. The evolution of zoos reflects changing human attitudes toward animals, oscillating between curiosity, control, and conservation.

05. Animal Cages—Prisons

The Penumbra series abounds with depictions of animal cages, ranging from close-ups to expansive views, highlighting the physical and symbolic divide between the inside and outside of these enclosures. In Restless Tiger (p. 152), a tiger lies within a cage bathed in the pale warmth of winter sunlight. The sun's rays filter through iron bars, projecting their shadows onto the walls and the tiger’s body. The resulting dense network of black bars multiplies endlessly across the composition. At the centre of the image, the tiger reclines on its platform, its tail curled—a sharp, almost antenna-like symbol of vigilance or introspection. Surrounded by the oppressive lattice of bars, the tiger embodies both vulnerability and latent power. Is this a tiger reduced to its most subdued state, like a once-mighty creature now fallen from grace? Or does it reflect the artist’s introspection, a projection of their own struggle—worn down yet poised to rise? Through meticulous depictions of cages and bars, Pulman critiques social realities, employing composition, light, and shadow to symbolise the yearning for freedom and to comment on societal constraints.

Tigers and Shadows: A Play on Abstraction

Several paintings, including Tiger and Shadows (p. 99, 100, 111, 112, 114), place deliberate emphasis on the shadows of the bars. These works elevate the shadows to become prominent elements within the composition, increasing their proportional significance and pushing the overall structure toward abstraction. In Tiger and Shadow IV (p. 16), for instance, the thick, organic lines of the tiger intersect with the rigid vertical geometry of the bars on the right side. This juxtaposition creates an experimental, layered visual language, rich with ambiguity and complexity. The intricate interplay of lines and shadows evokes the Chinese idiom tian luo di wang (天羅地網), or "inescapable net of heaven and earth," signifying an all-encompassing trap. This abstract, grid-like visual language calls to mind Paul Klee's Struck from the List (1933), a work marked by a bold, intersecting X shape that dominates its composition. Klee created this piece in the same year he was dismissed from his teaching position at the Düsseldorf Academy under Nazi pressure, highlighting the parallels between artistic expression and societal constraints.

Cages as Literal and Symbolic Prisons

On a physical level, the animal cage is a sturdy "prison," designed to confine. On a metaphorical plane, however, it represents various forms of spiritual and psychological bondage. These intangible prisons—what could be termed "prisons of unfreedom"—extend beyond the physical. If the tiger serves as a stand-in for the human condition, then the concept of the cage widens in scope: people live in myriad invisible cages. These include the constraints imposed by national regimes, societal norms, and family traditions. For individuals, personal adversities such as frustration, hardship, and systemic inequities form unseen cages that limit freedom and growth.

06. The Tiger Platform as Stage

Having grown up and been educated in Britain, Daniel Pulman resided for a long period in London, the city often hailed as the theatre capital of the world. His fascination for theatre deeply informs his artistic vision. The large-scale compositions in his Penumbra series often resemble theatrical stages, whether consciously or unconsciously. Viewing these paintings feels akin to watching scenes unfold on a stage. Beyond the primary stage-like structure of his compositions, a recurring secondary motif—the tiger platform—features prominently. The tiger, the central figure, is frequently depicted perched on its "platform," reminiscent of a performer poised in the spotlight.

The platform, as a stage, symbolises the interplay between life and theatre, establishing a multilayered dialogue with the viewer. This cyclical process—where life imitates theatre and theatre reflects life—creates a dual theatre: the play as life and life as a play.

Pulman, in his creative reflections, acknowledges the influence of 19th-century Realist painter Gustave Courbet (1819–1877). Courbet's commitment to portraying ordinary people and everyday events, rejecting idealised or romanticised depictions, helped pave the way for modern art. Similarly, Pulman’s recent works, inspired by his travels, draw directly from lived experiences. His focus on the present aligns with Courbet's pioneering realism, bridging 19th-century movements and 20th-century modernism.

In Pulman's 2022 Guguan series, exhibited in Taiwan, his strong, robust portrayal of human figures evoked comparisons to Cézanne's still lifes. In Penumbra, Pulman's treatment of snow piles in and near animal cages—formed into triangular mounds—also recalls Cézanne's geometric handling of tablecloths and the drapery in his still-life backgrounds.

Pulman describes painting as a "process"—an ongoing, iterative practice. He often revisits older works, incorporating them into new compositions.⁵ A recurring subject in his paintings is the figure of "a person," most often solitary. This figure varies in meaning from piece to piece: it could represent Pulman himself, a passerby, or a structural anchor to define spatial relationships within the composition.

When Pulman paints landscapes, his focus seems to transcend the scenery itself, using it as a backdrop for deeper explorations. Regardless of how abstract or realistic a piece may appear, a solitary figure frequently stands resolutely within the frame. His portrayals of people might not target specific individuals but instead continuously emphasise the notion of a humancentric world. Conversely, when he paints landscapes, the scenery often serves as a medium for broader societal critique. Pulman encapsulated this dynamic with his statement: "I am in Taiwan, but I am not in Taiwan." His paintings, even those depicting pure landscapes, are imbued with layers of social commentary. Pulman’s work fluidly combines the figurative and the abstract, with one seamlessly emerging from the other. In his tiger paintings, the tiger could represent the artist himself—or perhaps, the viewer.

07. Metamorphosis

"One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug. He lay on his armour-hard back and saw, as he lifted his head up a little, his brown, arched abdomen divided up into rigid bow-like sections. From this height the blanket, just about ready to slide off completely, could hardly stay in place. His numerous legs, pitifully thin in comparison to the rest of his circumference, flickered helplessly before his eyes."

—Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis (translated by Ian Johnston, 2003)

Upon entering Daniel Pulman's studio, one is immediately struck by a series of large, dynamic paintings that radiate intense emotional energy. Layers of warm hues, applied through various techniques, create shimmering effects reminiscent of sunlight, infusing the space with a lively, almost palpable atmosphere. The tigers in his paintings adopt diverse postures, but what instantly captivates are several pieces depicting anthropomorphic tiger figures standing on two legs. Having visited Pulman’s studio numerous times, I observed how his confidence and artistic vitality grew with each encounter. His works are deeply reflective of his persona. Pulman's Penumbra series unfolds as a theatre of transformation: tigers that initially appear neglected, lifeless, and slumped on their platforms within cages gradually evolve through successive paintings, rising to their feet as warriors.

The second act of the Penumbra "theatre" begins with an atmosphere charged with anticipation, akin to the eerie calm before a storm. In some paintings, the tiger's tail plays a central role. In two or three works, the tail is positioned prominently at the centre of the composition. Pulman, employing Futurist-like techniques, depicts multiple overlapping tiger tails, imbuing the work with a sense of dynamic tension (p. 189, p. 192). These tails, both disturbing the air and stirring thoughts, appear to be brimming with latent energy, ready to unleash.

The Tigerman series—Tigerman, Study II, Tigerman, Study III, and Tigerman, Study VI—presents figures imbued with a mysterious and fervent energy. Open, expressive brushstrokes convey a raw vitality. Compared to Pulman’s earlier Guguan series, which embodies a more introspective and reserved quality (like the moon), the Penumbra series is outwardly intense and vibrant (like the sun). The two series form a compelling contrast. Tigerman encapsulates a profound yearning for metamorphosis, symbolising a desire for transformation and liberation.

In Tigerman, Study III, the viewer witnesses an eruption of emotion, conveyed through bold, high-saturation pigments and vigorous brushwork. The piece captures an urgent transformative process. Standing defiantly on the tiger platform, the tiger-man disregards the oppressive weight of the encircling iron bars, which loom like the bars of a nightmarish cage. These bars symbolise the hardships and criticism faced along the path of life, now materialised as rigid constraints, confining the tiger within. The tiger could represent Pulman himself or serve as a projection of the viewer’s own struggles. This is a battle of the trapped beast.

Through his art, Pulman offers a powerful metaphor: physical and invisible cages are omnipresent, yet the drive for self-renewal and the breaking of these constraints is an urgent necessity. Transformation is inevitable. This metamorphosis, though personal, resonates universally. The viewer may be reminded of Kafka's The Metamorphosis. While Kafka's tale ends in tragedy, nature often tells a different story—of metamorphosis as a gift of survival and evolution. Just as a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, so too does transformation hold the promise of transcendence.

08. Shadows—Glass—Mirror Images

In the Penumbra series, the concept of penumbra not only refers to emotional and psychological expressions but also symbolises the blurred boundaries between reality and fiction. It serves as a crucial metaphor, revealing the complexities of human nature and the deep contradictions within the psyche.

The Penumbra series operates as both a tiger theatre and a shadow theatre. Alongside recurring motifs such as cages, iron bars, and animals (like tigers and other creatures), the series prominently features shadows and glass screens. Shadows appear in multiple forms: the sunlight casting iron-bar shadows on walls, visually multiplying the bars; shadows cast on snow; and those that appear on the tiger itself. Another critical but often overlooked element is the glass screen, which separates the animal enclosures from the outside world. In the painting Penumbra II (p. 160), a traveller gazes through the glass at a monkey within a cage. This interaction highlights a mutual act of observation, where the human and the animal each become both observer and observed, reflecting one another as in a mirror. This is particularly meaningful, as monkeys are often regarded as evolutionarily closest to humans. A similar theme appears in Dream of the Wolf (p. 96), which depicts a traveller watching a wolf through a glass screen. Both the wolf and the human regard each other, separated by the transparent barrier. Glass, always subtle yet concrete, divides two spaces: it allows visibility but denies physical interaction. The technical execution of glass and its symbolic implications in Pulman’s work present significant challenges.

Glass, being both transparent and penetrable by sight, carries layered meanings. According to Sartre, glass evokes multiple symbolic dimensions. Its "penetrability" can signify a desire to transcend existing perspectives or limitations. In contrast, Michel Foucault offers a perspective on transparency tied to power relations. In Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, Foucault discusses the concept of the Panopticon—a prison design of total transparency, where inmates are constantly visible and thus controlled. The transparency of glass here symbolises the omnipresence of power, highlighting the imbalance between the watcher and the watched.⁶ This power dynamic resonates in the zoo setting, where the tiger and the visitor leaning against the bars, as well as the zoo itself and its management, reflect layered relationships of control and observation.

09. Reality—Illusion/Dreams

In the early 20th century, Surrealism encouraged artists to draw inspiration from the subconscious, significantly influencing the trajectory of modern and contemporary art. A prominent example from the Abstract Expressionist period is Jackson Pollock's Portrait and a Dream (1953), which reflects Surrealism's emphasis on the interplay between reality and dreams. This horizontal diptych juxtaposes two distinct visual elements: one side features pure abstract expression, while the other depicts a self-portrait of Pollock. By projecting himself into the work, Pollock uses imagery to explore personal dreams and self-examination, as though exposing his subconscious directly onto the canvas. Dreams, potentially shaped by the dreamer's daily thoughts, become a medium for introspection and self-reflection in Pollock's work. Similarly, Daniel Pulman’s Penumbra series includes contemplative tiger-themed works, such as Tiger and Shadows (Study). In this painting, a tiger sits on a platform, its expression masked or altered in some way, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. The background features geometric, abstract images rendered in thick, suggestive layers. Pollock's Portrait and a Dream adopts a horizontally symmetrical composition, while Pulman's Tiger and Shadows (Study) employs a diagonal structure, creating a contrast between abstraction and figuration from the upper left to the lower right.

Reality rarely manifests as a simple binary; instead, it often appears along blurred boundaries. Reality tends to emerge within the penumbra, existing between states of waking and dreaming. In Dream of the Wolf (p. 96), the interaction between a wolf and the traveller prompts a dialectical exploration of "dream and reality": What defines the wolf? What defines the self? Where are the boundaries between the cage and the external world? Or more profoundly, am I the wolf? Is the wolf me? Ultimately, where do humans and animals intersect? Where does the boundary between dream and reality lie? Reality reveals itself subtly, emerging in moments that are neither purely illusory nor fully grounded in dreams.

This concept recalls the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi's parable, famously known as Zhuang Zhou Dreams of the Butterfly. The story conveys profound insights about understanding reality: One day, Zhuangzi dreams he has become a butterfly. Upon waking, he is uncertain whether he is Zhuangzi who dreamt of being a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of being Zhuangzi. He suggests that humans cannot definitively distinguish between reality and illusion. Once someone perceives a dichotomy between the real and the unreal, they have already fallen into error. If a dream feels real enough, discerning its status as a dream becomes nearly impossible. Yet, this paradox might reflect the harmony of the universe—a form of lucid dreaming where unity transcends duality.⁷

10. Man—Tiger—Man (An Unresolved Ending)

For the viewer, Daniel Pulman's Penumbra painting series is a metaphor. Through intricate techniques of spatial delineation, his works explore complex themes such as confinement, transformation, and the ambiguity of existence. They stimulate and challenge the audience's perception of reality, offering profound reflections on their state of being. Yet, is the "Tigerman" human or tiger? Does it lean more toward being human or tiger? Or is it in constant tension, oscillating between the two—drawing closer or pulling away? Pulman's Penumbra series, the "Tigerman" leaves behind yet another layer of enigma. The transformation is already underway, but where is the “Tigerman” headed? From this series of paintings, Pulman offers the audience an open-ended, unresolved answer.

Notes

1. Before the author visited Daniel Pulman's studio, the artist had sent the author a draft of the Penumbra catalogue for reference. It is known that the album was edited under Daniel Pulman's direction. Hence, the author was able to understand Daniel Pulman's creative intentions for this series through the edited album, even before seeing the paintings.

2. The Amur tiger (also known as the Siberian tiger) is the largest tiger subspecies in the world. It inhabits parts of the Russian Far East, the Korean Peninsula, and Northeast China. The Amur tiger was once critically endangered.

3. Jiang Jiahui, "Delacroix's Tiger—Rationality Underneath Romantic Souls" (Artist Magazine, February 2022, Issue 56).

4. Helena Chen, "Tigers, Hunting, and India—Colonial Imagery in Victorian Britain" (Artist Magazine, February 2022, Issue 561).

5. Artist interview.

6. Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison, Vintage Books, NY 1975, translated by Alan Sheridan, pp. 195-228.

7. "Zhuang Zhou Dreams of a Butterfly" comes from Zhuangzi, Chapter Qi Wu Lun.