Roar, China

Created in 1935, Roar, China was reprinted on many newspapers at that time. Showing a male body cruelly tied up and blindfolded, humiliated and suffering, this piece draws on symbolism to represent a nation on the brink of letting out a roar and fighting back—this is a reference to the distressing circumstances of the Chinese people at that time, tormented by the oppression of powerful forces. The woodcut demonstrates the artist’s stark, straightforward style as well as his meticulous artistic control, and furthermore, exhibits how he strives to use his woodcut technique to represent the national character. This piece, with its powerful visual impact, is a prime example of Chinese woodcutting in the 1930s.