Artwork Description

Title: Portrait 3
Artist: Xinlin Jiang
Date: 2015
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 23.6 x 19.7 in (60 x 50 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Portrait 3 by Xinlin Jiang is a vivid oil on canvas composition featuring a stylized green-toned face peering pensively through an enveloping mass of leaf-like strands. The portrait measures 60 x 50 cm and draws immediate attention through its bold chromatic choices—particularly the contrast between the verdant figure and a luminous, ochre-orange background. The subject’s wide eyes lend the piece a quietly dramatic narrative, blending introspection with surreal whimsy.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Jiang’s approach fuses elements of surrealism and expressive figuration, rooted in symbolic color theory and contemporary portraiture. The exaggerated palette and organic overlays suggest influence from both Chinese folkloric imagery and psychological symbolism. The work recalls the fantastical explorations of artists such as Liu Ye and the emotive clarity seen in East Asian portrait traditions, yet retains an unmistakably unique identity shaped by Jiang’s idiosyncratic vision.

3. Historical Context
Painted in 2015, Portrait 3 emerges during a broader resurgence of figurative painting in China’s contemporary art scene. This period saw a renewed focus on individual identity, memory, and cultural hybridity. The work resonates with concerns of transformation, alienation, and ecological interconnectedness—concepts increasingly explored by Jiang in the mid-2010s as he pushed portraiture beyond mere likeness.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. The canvas is structurally stable, with no noted surface abrasion, paint loss, or restoration. Pigments remain vibrant and the surface shows no visible craquelure or varnish disruption.

6. Artistic Significance
Portrait 3 stands as a compelling contribution to Xinlin Jiang’s ongoing exploration of human emotion and metaphysical presence. The work’s enigmatic blend of organic camouflage and childlike expressiveness renders it both visually arresting and symbolically charged. Its enduring market appeal lies in its ability to speak to themes of identity and nature through a distinctly contemporary Chinese lens.