Zhou Yan Contemporary Chinese Art Archive 周彦当代中国艺术档案
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Date
1994
Format
Photograph
Dimensions
58 × 46 cm
Art School/Style
Jiangsu Academy of Chinese Paintings (江苏省国画院)
Description
The artist utilized “gongbi” to depict a lotus pod, half of a Chinese wooden armchair, and a white horse with most of its body hidden behind a curtain. He combined traditional Chinese elements like the wooden armchair and western elements like the white curtain to imply cultural and artistic connection between the East and the West. Since the main colors are white and gray, there is a sense of mystery. As mentioned by the artist, the theme is about eroticism. Since “Chinese people are more conservative in expressing sexual desires and depicting erotic scenes, many objects in the painting have special metaphors that hint at eroticism" ( https://www.christies.com/zh/lot/lot-5998403). For example, the blueish-white curtain covers a portion of the painting, and only half of the armchair and the horse’s head are revealed to the viewer. This arrangement leaves space of imagination for viewers, and engages them to think about the potential meaning and relations among the objects. (Yifan Shang ‘25)
Rights Statement
