After much soul searching, Kang Mu-hsiang has transformed his career from a traditional statue carver to later becoming a modern art sculptor employing unconventional material such as used scrap metal. His yearlong secluded time on a tiny offshore island brought much insight into both his outlook on life and the messaging in his artwork. Working with prison inmates, one of Kang’s masterpieces is made from the elevator scrap steel rope from Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest building.

• Taipei 101