Post '89 Retrospective
Featured Artist: Liu Xiaodong
"Liu Xiaodong: A Retrospective" article by Yi Ying
Professor, Art History Department, Central Institute of Fine Arts
Editor-in-Chief, Meishu Yanjiu (Fine Art Research)

* Select an image to enlarge

Liu Xiaodong (1963 - )
Liu Xiaodong graduated from the oil painting department of the Central Institute of Fine Arts in 1988, at which time he was selected to join the teaching staff.
He is one of the earliest and influential of the "New Generation" artists. His style gained him notoriety and exerted widespread influence soon after his first one-man exhibition in April of 1990.

"The Song of the
Field Shepherd"
1989
120x170cm
Oil on Canvas

"Mid - Summer
Day"
1989
130x100cm
Oil on Canvas

Liu's paintings reflect the spiritual confusion in Chinese contemporary society during the radical social Change of the 1990s and are representative of the artistic trend of the time.
This trend is perhaps best embodied in the "New Generation" exhibition in Beijing, July 1991. "New Generation", quickly became the label by which the exhibiting young Artists came to be known.

"The Embrace"
1991
100x80cm
Oil on Canvas

"Dinner"
1991
150x175cm
Oil on Canvas

Although Liu did not take part in this exhibition, he still stands out as one of the group's most important artists, mostly owing to his profound observations of society, his true-to-life expression of his own personal experience, brought to life by his excellent facility in the realist style. He remains a representative figure of this movement.
In recent years, Liu Xiaodong has turned his vision from pure personal experience to society in general. On the surface, it seems that his work reflects contemporary life as it really is.In substance, his works bring to bear a unique sense of irony and humour which are often critical.

"The Man in the Mirrror"
1992
130x100cm
Oil on Canvas

"On the Great Wall"
1993
130x100cm
Oil on Canvas

Liu isn't interested in modernist art, but reflects outstandingly various problems from modernism to past-modernism in Chinese contemporary which is going to modern society.
His art matures in step with the Chinese contemporary movement. Liu Xiaodong's exhibitions in China have been well received. He exhibited in Venice and Kassel in 1997. Liu's work is highly valued by collectors who are closely watching Chinese contemporary art.

Chinese Type Contemporary Art online magazine Copyright © 1997

"Pushing Against the Wall"
1995
175x125cm
Oil on Canvas

"Fat White Man"
1995
250x150cm
Oil on Canvas

"Against the Rules"
1996
180x230cm
Oil on Canvas

"Sons"
150x160cm
Oil on Canvas

	* Select an image to enlarge
Liu Xiaodong (1963 - ) Liu Xiaodong graduated from the oil painting department of the Central Institute of Fine Arts in 1988, at which time he was selected to join the teaching staff. He is one of the earliest and influential of the "New Generation" artists. His style gained him notoriety and exerted widespread influence soon after his first one-man exhibition in April of 1990.	"The Song of the Field Shepherd" 1989 120x170cm Oil on Canvas	"Mid - Summer Day" 1989 130x100cm Oil on Canvas
Liu's paintings reflect the spiritual confusion in Chinese contemporary society during the radical social Change of the 1990s and are representative of the artistic trend of the time. This trend is perhaps best embodied in the "New Generation" exhibition in Beijing, July 1991. "New Generation", quickly became the label by which the exhibiting young Artists came to be known.	"The Embrace" 1991 100x80cm Oil on Canvas	"Dinner" 1991 150x175cm Oil on Canvas
Although Liu did not take part in this exhibition, he still stands out as one of the group's most important artists, mostly owing to his profound observations of society, his true-to-life expression of his own personal experience, brought to life by his excellent facility in the realist style. He remains a representative figure of this movement. In recent years, Liu Xiaodong has turned his vision from pure personal experience to society in general. On the surface, it seems that his work reflects contemporary life as it really is.In substance, his works bring to bear a unique sense of irony and humour which are often critical.	"The Man in the Mirrror" 1992 130x100cm Oil on Canvas	"On the Great Wall" 1993 130x100cm Oil on Canvas
Liu isn't interested in modernist art, but reflects outstandingly various problems from modernism to past-modernism in Chinese contemporary which is going to modern society. His art matures in step with the Chinese contemporary movement. Liu Xiaodong's exhibitions in China have been well received. He exhibited in Venice and Kassel in 1997. Liu's work is highly valued by collectors who are closely watching Chinese contemporary art. Chinese Type Contemporary Art online magazine Copyright © 1997	"Pushing Against the Wall" 1995 175x125cm Oil on Canvas	"Fat White Man" 1995 250x150cm Oil on Canvas
	"Against the Rules" 1996 180x230cm Oil on Canvas	"Sons" 150x160cm Oil on Canvas