Artwork Description

Title: Plantain Girl
Artist: Shaoli Chen
Date: n.d.
Medium: Ink and watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 29.9 x 28.3 in (76 x 72 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Plantain Girl is a captivating ink and watercolor composition by celebrated Chinese artist Shaoli Chen. This work depicts two young women standing amid a traditional garden setting, framed by elegantly rendered banana leaves and ornamental rocks. The figures are distinguished by their vibrant modern attire—one in a floral blouse and green shorts, the other in a patterned skirt and white blouse—imbuing the composition with a sense of casual charm and youthful vitality. Chen’s controlled brushwork and soft color palette evoke a harmonious balance between figuration and landscape.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
The painting exemplifies Shaoli Chen’s signature fusion of classical Chinese ink painting techniques with modern figurative sensibilities. Drawing upon the tradition of literati painting, Chen integrates the decorative softness of Gongbi linework with contemporary motifs, lending the figures a stylized yet approachable realism. The juxtaposition of traditional flora with modern fashion accessories—handbags, sneakers, patterned skirts—reflects a subtle dialogue between historical continuity and contemporary life. Chen’s aesthetic sensibility is also informed by manhua and mid-century poster art, offering a pop-cultural flair within classical formats.

3. Historical Context
Emerging during China’s post-reform era, Shaoli Chen’s body of work captures the intersection of modern urban life and traditional Chinese visual culture. Plantain Girl reflects a broader artistic exploration of changing female identities in late 20th-century China, where fashion, personal expression, and cultural heritage coexist in a visual language both nostalgic and forward-looking. The plantain tree—a motif long favored in Chinese garden aesthetics and poetry—serves here as a symbol of quiet domestic elegance, lending thematic richness to the setting.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The work is in very good condition. The paper is well-preserved with no visible tears, discoloration, or moisture damage. Pigments are vivid and evenly applied, with the ink lines maintaining strong definition. No evidence of previous conservation treatment is observed. Professionally stored and handled.

6. Artistic Significance
Shaoli Chen is recognized as a leading figure in contemporary Chinese ink and figure painting. His ability to synthesize traditional aesthetics with modern themes has earned him critical acclaim and institutional respect. Plantain Girl stands as a quintessential example of Chen’s mature style, capturing the poetic resonance of traditional Chinese painting while addressing themes of femininity, modernity, and cultural continuity. The work offers both aesthetic delight and curatorial significance for collectors of modern Chinese art.