| Zhang Yu: Recent works- Richard Vine 2009 Zhang Yu is an emerging artist who fits very well into the ongoing development of post-Mao experimental work, which is now thoroughly globalized in its themes, techniques, and critical concerns. Indeed, she is already an active member of the international Chinese art community, and is considered a peer by some of the best-known names in the field. Her work, exceptionally strong in draftsmanship and showing a fine painterly potential, manifests several signature motifs (the long-necked woman, for example) of the sort that have won wide recognition for her slightly older colleagues. I believe that Zhang Yu is likely to make a notable contribution to the current art scene— in the U.S., China and elsewhere—as she continues to hone her skills and fully explore her vision. Richard Vine Senior Editor, Art in America magazine, and author of the book New China, New Art. Artist Statement 2009 I believe making art is a process of self-examination. I feel that to depict other people is also to question self. Autobiography is central to my role as artist, evoking my life through the portrayal of personalities from the collective imagination – and using my own snapshots, movie characters, and figures in magazines. These elements bring my immediate interests and fantasies into my work. The principle of my work is to pursue the simple and candid, to stress the primal aspects and desires of human beings. My current work deals with distortion of the female figure. The elongated figures are representative of my emotions and my imagination. The figures in my work have abandoned their exterior characteristics and replaced these with their natural interior essence. This is simultaneously a process of decrease and consolidation. When I paint people , I depict them as blind, because I think the human eye creates illusions. The real, the essence of human nature can only be seen from your inner world. To achieve this, I minimize my colors to a limit point to focus on the character of each individual. I use simple colored tone to bring the intensity of the subject forward and to connect with the complexities of the human experience. The light colored figure, dehumanized eyes and illuminated background reflect a collection of my life experiences. |
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