Artists born in the 1960s have an innate antipathy toward "grand narration”and do not have any lofty ideals or sense of mission;on the contrary, they are sceptical and cynical, either in attitude or in experience, about life and reality. A number of new artists including Fang Lijun, Yue Minjun, Liu Xiaodong, Liu Wei, and Yu Hong have made their debut on the stage of art. The images they create offer a vivid description of Chinese society in general and also correspond to the Western impression and imagination of China. Therefore, they are the artists who manage to keep themselves advancing with the global art trends.
Fang Lijun. His work 1991-92 Series No.2 (1991-92 xiliezhier) was published on the cover of The New York Times in 1993, In which he created the Famous yawning bald-headed character, a classic signature of his art.
Yue Minjun. The artist's signature "Laughing SetF-Portrait" and his unique style have gained him a unique position in the contemporary Chinese art circle.
Yang Shaobin. His early works depict the physical experience and collective memory of individuals in society; his later works often touch upon politics; and his most recent works feature his hometown and fife in his early days. Yang has used a number of different media including oil painting, video,and installation.
Burning Garbage (1998) by Liu XiaodongLong Museum West Bund
Liu Xiaodong. His works carry a consistent painting style of realism. The project "Painting from Life (xiesheng), which he has been working on since 2004, articulates the "psychological insufficiency" of people under social transformation. Liu's concern for this issue as a Chinese artist has earned him a unique position in contemporary Chinese art.
Mondrian's paintings, which Liu Ye started to use as a symbol from early on, and the cartoon-like children characters are both signature images of the artist.
Zeng Fanzhi. The "Hospital" (xieheyiyuan) series and the "Meat" (rou) series are important masterpieces in his early years. His "Mask" (mianju) series, which he began to work on in 1994, is his most famous work, followed by the "Portrait" (xiaoxlang) series and the "Great Men" series. ln recent years, there have been an increasing proportion of landscapes in his paintings.
Mao Yan. The artist is famous for his concept portraits and represents a brand new level of Chinese realist
painting.
Liu Wei. He is an important artist representing the Post ‘89 New Art Movement in China. In the early 1990s, he overthrew the conventional way of aesthetic appreciation with his famous way of painting and composition, full of burlesque and irony.
Two of Us No.2 (2007) by Yu HongLong Museum West Bund
Yu Hong's works have given consistent attention to the everyday life of ordinary people and the themes all directly come From the artist's understanding and capture of real life.
Director:Wang Wei
Curator:Wang Huangsheng, Cao Qinghui, Guo Xiaoyan
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