Artwork Description

Title: Portrait 2
Artist: Xinlin Jiang
Date: 2015
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 23.6 x 19.7 in (60 x 50 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
In Portrait 2, Xinlin Jiang presents a hauntingly vivid depiction of a young face emerging from a sea of undulating tendrils. Executed in oil on canvas and measuring 60 x 50 cm, the composition features a rich interplay between glowing turquoise hues and warm, subdued flesh tones, imbuing the portrait with both vulnerability and ethereal otherness. The subject’s direct, solemn gaze captivates, framed by biomorphic strands that veil the figure in mystery.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Jiang’s visual vocabulary draws from expressionism and surrealist portraiture, while his palette and soft modeling recall East Asian ink traditions translated into oil. This portrait continues the artist’s thematic investigation of identity, psychological opacity, and transformation. The stylistic sensibility evokes comparison to the works of Zhang Xiaogang and contemporary artists who use figuration to confront inner states.

3. Historical Context
Created in 2015, this piece reflects Jiang's mature phase, marked by his deepening interest in emotional atmospheres and symbolic introspection. Painted at a time when contemporary Chinese art increasingly turned to introspective and existential narratives, Portrait 2 presents the human figure as both witness and enigma—anchored in realism yet transcending it through poetic abstraction.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition with no evident damage, restoration, or surface irregularities. The canvas is taut, and the pigment layers are stable and vibrant. No conservation treatment is deemed necessary at this time.

6. Artistic Significance
As part of Xinlin Jiang’s psychologically resonant portrait series, Portrait 2 embodies the artist’s ongoing exploration of consciousness and selfhood. The artwork transcends the confines of conventional portraiture, merging symbolism, mood, and corporeality in a way that continues to attract collectors and curators interested in postmodern figuration within Chinese contemporary art.