LOT DETAILS

Materials:

Oil on canvas

Measurements:

38.58 in. (98.00 cm.) (height) by 54.33 in. (138.00 cm.) (width)

Markings:

Signed in Chinese,dated and located on bottom right; signed,dated and titled in Chinese on reverse

Exhibited:

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Schoeni Art Gallery，Hong KongTraditional and Contemporary Interrogation by Ji WenyuJi Wenyu was born in Shanghai.In 1980，he graduated from Shanghai Art and Design Academy.In 1988，he graduated from the major of Decoration Design from the School of art and Design at Shanghai Institute of Technology.His works were initially displayed at “Shanghai Oil Painting Exhibition” in 1987.After that，he held his first solo exhibition at ShanghART Gallery Shanghai in 1997.In the following year，he was awarded “Freeman Fellow-ship” and relocated to the Vermont Art Studio Centre in America for work and exchange.After that，he successively held exhibitions in Switzerland，Japan，Italy，UK，Demark，Singapore and some other places.In August this year，he exhibited the most recent creations at ShanghART Gallery Singapore.Some of his works were collected by M+ Museum in Hong Kong and the German collector Wemhöner.The work on auction “Flower Blossom，Flower Fall 2” was created by Ji Yuwen when he was working in America.The painting expresses sarcasm to traditional cultural concepts by combining the concrete forms of eastern word characters with virtual marks and images in the western culture，and displaying them in glamorous colors and great details.The principle idea of “Flower Blossom，Flower Fall” refers to the time that he lives in，when the political contradiction of corruption is inevitable due to the rapid economic development of China.“We are developing rapidly and becoming wealthier.We are improving self-consciousness，pursuing and expecting for new happiness.Then，some beautiful but not pure flowers appear，and insects come along chasing after them.” Different from the sarcasm of the mainstream art at the time，which is the political pop art，Yu Jiwen’s sarcasm is quiet barely seen during his time，because he not only aims at the traditions of his own culture，but also the mainstream western traditions.There are two rows of western leaders’ portraits in the painting，implying the lessons from the past that is moral deterioration due to the economic boom.The picture seems to be lively and humorous，but beneath it lies a cold doubt towards the prospect for development of western capital economy.