Artwork Description

Title: Chinese Contemporary Art History Part III
Artist: Hua Jiming
Date: 2008
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 29.9 x 39.4 in (76 x 100 cm)

Artwork Identification:
In Chinese Contemporary Art History Part III, Hua Jiming presents a vivid tableau that weaves together iconic imagery from Chinese popular culture, global consumer branding, and fragments of modern art history. Executed in oil on canvas, the work is composed of a montage of scenes, portraits, and symbols—ranging from smiling socialist figures and propaganda motifs to Coca-Cola ads and surreal figures—each rendered in a visually eclectic style that evokes collage and pastiche.

Artistic Style and Influences:
Hua’s stylistic approach in this work reflects a postmodern sensibility, blending socialist realist elements with pop art aesthetics. The piece draws clear influence from Western pop artists like Andy Warhol while remaining deeply rooted in China’s own socio-political visual heritage. The result is a layered visual narrative that critiques and celebrates the collision between ideological legacy, consumer culture, and personal memory. Hua's practice, known for its versatility across media, uses this format to dissect how visual culture constructs national and personal identities.

Historical Context:
Created in 2008, this painting captures a time when China’s contemporary art scene was undergoing significant transformation and internationalization. Hua’s depiction of figures from propaganda posters juxtaposed with Western commercial icons reflects the nation’s rapid shift from a collectivist ideology to a capitalist economy. The work reads as both archive and satire, suggesting the unstable meanings of historical imagery in a globalized media landscape.

Provenance:
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation:
The artwork is in very good condition. The canvas is stable, and the surface shows no signs of cracking, discoloration, or abrasions. The vibrant pigment application remains intact.

Artistic Significance:
Chinese Contemporary Art History Part III represents Hua Jiming’s ongoing effort to interrogate the visual and ideological residues of 20th-century Chinese history within a 21st-century context. With deft humor and poignant critique, Hua’s work invites viewers to reconsider the icons that shape collective consciousness. This painting, part of a broader series, stands as an important cultural document and a compelling entry in the discourse of global contemporary art.