Artwork Description

Title: A Playful Splash Monkey
Artist: Zhang Jiang
Date: n.d.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 120 cm (39.37 x 47.24 in)

1. Artwork Identification
Zhang Jiang’s A Playful Splash Monkey captures a surreal and startling tableau featuring a central figure—part monkey, part man—frozen mid-yawn or scream, surrounded by similarly hybrid beings dressed in blue and green smocks. The saturated blue sky provides a stark, empty backdrop, intensifying the emotional resonance and psychological depth of the scene.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
The painting embodies elements of Chinese contemporary surrealism, reminiscent of the Cynical Realism movement that emerged in post-Tiananmen China. With exaggerated expressions, anthropomorphic distortions, and isolated backgrounds, Zhang aligns with artists like Yue Minjun and Fang Lijun, who use satire and visual absurdity to comment on collective identity, emotional repression, and socio-political alienation.

3. Historical Context
Emerging from a generation of artists reflecting on the pressures of modernization and conformity in late 20th- and early 21st-century China, Zhang Jiang’s work speaks to themes of dehumanization and internal struggle. The monkey-human hybrid form may represent regression, loss of individuality, or a primal scream against structured society—a common theme among artists navigating post-reform anxieties and shifting ideologies.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. The surface of the painting is stable with no signs of cracking, discoloration, or restoration needs. The canvas is taut and ready for display.

6. Artistic Significance
A Playful Splash Monkey is a striking and emotionally charged piece that uses grotesque beauty and hyper-expressionism to critique social identity and collective behavior. Zhang Jiang’s ability to render human-animal hybrids with both humor and gravity places him within a meaningful dialogue on the psychological effects of modern life, making this painting a compelling addition to any collection of contemporary Chinese surrealist art.