⼿推⻋⼀直是⻄斯特·盖茨在雕塑创作中常⽤的⼯具。2013年在⾹港⽩⽴⽅画廊举办的展览《我的过去，我的转变，我的意愿》 (My Back, My Wheel and My Will) 中⾸次展出的《五⾦⼈⼒⻋》，被认为是该艺术家持续进⾏的“迁移⼈⼒⻋”系列中最早的作品之⼀。上述展览展示了艺术家在第⼗三届德国卡塞尔⽂献展所做的项⽬《胡格诺派教徒之家的12⾸⺠谣》 (12 Ballads for Huguenot House)。艺术家把芝加哥南区⼀栋将要被拆除的房屋⾥回收的建材，运往德国卡塞尔市中⼼具有悠久历史的胡格诺派宅邸，并重新组装成⼀系列装置——把两个同被弃置的空间进⾏了连接。
《五⾦⼈⼒⻋》是这些被循环使⽤的材料的永久载体：覆盖着墙纸、⽊板和钉⼦等物品的⽊材被安置在内。这个作品在很⼤程度上也是盖茨在2016年于⽶兰普拉达基⾦会展出的装置《真实的价值 》(True Value) 的先例。《真实的价值》收藏了近3万件五⾦物品和⼯具，这些物件均由艺术家从芝加哥南部⼀家废弃的五⾦店中“抢救”⽽出，并用不同颜⾊精⼼编码排列。 Rickshaws are commonly used in Theaster Gates' sculpture creation. "Hardware Rickshaw" was first launched in the exhibition "My Back, My Wheel and My Will" at White Cube Hong Kong in 2013, which is considered as one of the earliest works in the Artist’ ongoing "Migration Rickshaw" series. At the above-mentioned exhibition, the Artist presented a project titled "12 Ballads for Huguenot House", which was exhibited at Documenta 13. The Artist transported materials recovered from a house to be demolished in the Southsideneighbor of Chicago to the time-honored Huguenot House located in the downtown of Kassell, Germany, and reassembled them into a series of installations - to link both abandoned spaces.
"Hardware Rickshaw" is the permanent carrier for these recycled materials: with timber covered with wallpaper, planks and nails, etc. set up inside, the artwork is to some extent, also a precedent of Gates' installation titled "True Value", which was launched at Fondazione Prada in 2016. "True Value" collects nearly 30,000 hardware items and tools. They are "rescued" by the Artist from an abandoned hardware store in the south of Chicago, coded and arranged in different colors.

在盖茨的职业⽣涯中，他回收了⼤量珍贵的⿊⼈历史⽂物，包括⾳乐、书籍、图像和照⽚等等，并把这些珍品安置于他在芝加哥修复和改造的建筑中，或在世界各⼤博物馆⾥。《丈量我肆意的热情》和《最深处的告解》是盖茨正在打造的“书脊作品”系列的其中⼀部分。此系列作品收录了由⿊⼈建⽴的约翰逊出版公司（Johnson Publishing Company，《Ebony》和《Jet》杂志出版商）的期刊。为了制作该作品，盖茨将约翰逊出版公司的旧出版物重新装订成精致的书卷，并在钢架上将其线性排列。盖茨以这些出版物内容为出发点，对应原⽂写下诗歌，印在每本书脊之上。由于这些作品排列成线，读者能够⼀本接着⼀本地阅读，如此举措亦是参与了⼀种表演实践。作品以十年为单位，将杂志装订并以颜色代码分类，意在抗议对于黑人的刻板印象。 In his career, Gates has recovered a great quantity of precious black historical relics including music, books, images and photographs, etc., placing them in buildings restored and transformed in Chicago, or in leading museums worldwide. "For the Length of My Indiscriminate Passion" and "Darkest of Confessions", are part of Gates’ ongoing ‘Spine Works’ series. This series includes periodicals from Johnson Publishing Company owned by the black, the publisher of "Ebony" and "Jet" magazines. To produce the works, Gates rebinds the original publications presented by Johnson Publishing Company into elegant volumes and arranges them linearly on steel shelves. Starting from the contents of such publications, Gates has written poems in response to the original texts and printed on the spine of each book. These works are arranged in line, so viewers can read them one after another, which is also the involvement of performance practices.
The magazines are bound on a ten-year basis and classified with color codes, aiming to protest against a stereotyped image for the black.

⾃2012年以来，盖茨⼀直将绘画与屋顶制作过程相结合，⽤⽕炬、屋顶纸、沥⻘和⽊材创作⼤型抽象作品，他的沥⻘画展示出对单⾊绘画与劳动的兴趣。作品中有时会出现脚印和⽔滴，使观众能够清楚地了解到艺术家的创作过程。分层的画⾯像屋顶上的沥⻘，挑战了传统绘画和雕塑的媒介及创作⽅式。这幅作品同时也是向他的⽗亲，⼀名屋顶⼯⼈致敬。通过这种⽅式，盖茨将⾃⼰家族的劳动史与艺术史上的先驱——弗朗⻄斯科·⼽雅的“⿊⾊系列展画”(约1819-1823年) 、战后艺术家卢⻄奥·丰塔纳、弗兰克·斯特拉和罗伯特·劳森伯格等的单⾊抽象画进行了并置。 Since 2012, Gates has been combining the processes of painting with roof making to create large-scale abstract works out of torch, roofing paper, asphalt and wood. His asphalt paintings demonstrate an interest in both monochrome painting and labor. Sometimes footprints and waterdrops are featured in his works, which help viewers to clearly understand the creation process of the Artist. The laminated pictures are like asphalt on the roof, challenging medium and creation mode of traditional paintings and sculptures. The works also extends a salute to his father, a roof worker. Gates juxtaposes the labor history of his family with the pioneers in the art history - "Paintings of the Black Series" by Francisco Goya (about 1819-1823), monochrome abstract paintings by post-war artists such as Lucio Fontana, Frank Stella and Robert Rauschenberg, etc.

盖茨曾在美国、南⾮和⽇本学习陶艺。他的黏⼟作品以及他参与的有关⽇本茶道等习俗的各种仪式，⼤⼤提升了“聚集空间”在他更⼤的艺术实践背景中的重要性和能⻅度。2007年，盖茨主持了⼀场晚宴，以⽇本茶具为灵感，⽤陶瓷盘⼦盛放美国南⽅⿊⼈传统⻝物，由此发展出⼀种混合了东亚与美国⿊⼈⽂化的瓷器创作，发起名为“盘汇”的传统——从那时起，盖茨开始专注于如何通过⼀只茶碗或⼀系列物品，推动公共对话与集会。通过实⽤性和⼤型封闭式的器⽫，如《五器》，盖茨将古⽼的传统与现代主义美学结合起来，将东⽅、⻄⽅和⾮洲的技艺彼此联系。 Gates has studied ceramic pottery skills in USA, South Africa and Japan. His clay works and his engagement with social rituals focusing on such customs as the Japanese Sado, etc., have greatly enhanced the importance and visibility of "gathering spaces" in the broader context of his artistic practices. In 2007, Gates hosted a banquet inspired by Japanese tea ware. Ceramic plates were used to serve traditionally food of the black in the south of America, which developed chinaware creation combining the East Asian culture and the black American culture, initiating a tradition known as "chinaware collection" - since this time, Gates has focused on how to promote public dialogues and gatherings through a teacup or a set of items. By using practical and large-scale enclosed vessels, such as "Five Vessels", Gates combines old traditions and modern esthetics, linking oriental skills with their occidental and African counterparts.

《多宝阁》是艺术家正在进⾏的⼀个系列作品，它着眼于全球劳动⼒和材料出⼝市场，意在探寻跨国贸易⾥消费者与制造商之间的关系。艺术家研究了他⽣活中所有源⾃中国的物品及那些受中国⼯艺史启发的造物⽅式，然后精⼼创作出极简解构的作品，突显艺术家在东⽅与⻄⽅⽣活经历⾥的相似性、颠覆性及更多可能性。 "China Cabinet" is an ongoing series of works aiming at global labor and material export markets, exploring the relationship between consumers and manufacturers in multi-national trade. The Artist has researched all the items originated in China in his life and ways of creation that are inspired by the history of Chinese craft, then meticulously created minimalist structures, highlighting the similarities, subversiveness and more possibilities in the Artist's oriental and occidental life.

《神龛》是为了纪念法兰基·纳克鲁斯的遗物与宝库，这位传奇DJ在20世纪80年代中期创建了浩室⾳乐（House）。圣劳伦斯教区是芝加哥南岸的⼀座罗⻢式复兴教堂，⽽此装置作品由艺术家从那⾥回收的⽊画板组成。这座地标建筑由建筑师约瑟夫·莫利托在1911年建造，于2014年被拆除。法兰基·纳克鲁斯收藏的5000多张⿊胶唱⽚如今被保存在芝加哥斯托尼岛艺术银⾏ (Stony Island Arts Bank)，并通过重建基⾦会项⽬进⾏保存与对外开放。2017年，盖茨在加拿⼤多伦多安⼤略美术馆的“如何建造⼀座浩室博物馆”展览中，《神龛》⽆疑是该展览的亮点。此件作品的特⾊是⼀块刻有铭⽂的⻘铜牌匾，以纪念法兰基的传奇⼈⽣：
法兰基·纳克鲁斯（浩室⾳乐之⽗）
1955年1⽉18⽇—2014年3⽉31⽇
舞池仍然是救赎和反抗精神的寄托之地，你们的乐器即是⾃由的象征。
您的府邸就是众望所归。⾃由所在之处就是您的家。
《神龛》颂扬了浩室⾳乐、⿊⼈⽂化项⽬及⽂化⼯作者的重要性，因为他们推动了世界各地的声⾳与创意⼯作。 "Shrine" is created to commemorate the legacy and treasury of Frankie Knuckles. This legendary DJ founded House Music House Music. The installation is comprised of recovered wood paneling from the altar of St. Laurence Parish, a Romanesque Renaissance church o the southern side of Chicago. This landmark was built by architect Joseph Molitor in 1911 and demolished in 2014. Frankie Knuckles’ collection of over 5,000 vinyl records is now preserved at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, kept and made open to the public through the Rebuild Foundation’s programs. "Shrine" undoubtedly became a highlight at Gates' exhibition "How to Build a House Museum" in the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.
The work features an inscribed bronze plaque that honors Frankie’s legendary life: Frankie Knuckles (Father of House Music)
January 18, 1955 - March 31, 2014
The dance floor remains the site for redemption and rebellious spirit, your instrument is a token for freedom. Your House stands high in popular favor.
Your House is where freedom exists.
"Shrine" extolls the significance of House Music, black cultural programs and cultural workers, because they promote sound and creative work all over the world.

在盖茨的多年艺术实践中，他常常从美国特定的历史时期出发，展开对种族问题的讨论，强调⾮裔美国⼈为公⺠权利⽽进⾏的⽃争，《种族暴动》（Race Riot）是他被⼈熟知的系列作品。《消防喉》由废置的消防⽔带和盖茨⼯作室的⽊柜制成，诉说了美国阿拉巴⻢州伯明翰⺠权运动期间⾮裔美国⼈所经历的可怕创伤，当时的消防⽔带被⽤来对付和平抗议者。艺术家希望利⽤当代实践的平台来突出世界各地的⿊⼈在他们所在的社会群体中所遭受的不公正待遇。 In Gates' artistic practices for many years, he often discusses about racial issues by starting from the specific historical period of America, emphasizes that African-Americans are fighting for civil rights. "Race Riot" is a well-known series of his works. Made from abandoned fire hoses and wooden cabinets in Gates' studio, "Fire Hose" tells the horrible trauma experienced by African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, Alabama, when fire hoses were used on peaceful protestors. The Artist hopes to use the platform for contemporary practices to highlight the unfair treatment undergone by the black around world in their social community.