Artwork Description

Title: Body
Artist: Guo Wei
Date: 2003
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 15.7 x 11.8 in (40 x 30 cm)

Artwork Identification:
This early 2003 painting by Guo Wei, Title:d Body, presents a rear-facing nude figure in a crawling pose rendered with gestural confidence. The figure’s pale form dominates the canvas, starkly contrasted against the slate-gray foreground and pale blue background. Blue socks punctuate the otherwise monochromatic palette, directing attention to the grounded, physical presence of the body. The figure’s subtle turn of the head toward the viewer injects a note of defiance or vulnerability into an otherwise bold composition.

Artistic Style and Influences:
Guo Wei continues his exploration of the human body as both symbol and subject. The rough painterly treatment and tonal restraint recall aspects of Lucian Freud’s psychological nudes, while the flat application and compositional boldness reflect a modern Chinese sensibility, shaped by introspection and critique. This figure, devoid of embellishment or eroticism, is a vessel of existential expression—unglamorous, unapologetic, and deeply human.

Historical Context:
Created in 2003, Body emerges during a pivotal era in Chinese contemporary art, when figuration was often used to critique collective identity and explore personal agency. At the time, artists like Guo Wei were shifting focus from broad political themes to intimate, psychological states, reflecting a society wrestling with rapid modernization, bodily norms, and shifting cultural values.

Provenance:
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation:
The painting is in very good condition. The canvas remains taut, and the paint surface is stable and well-preserved. There are no signs of fading, flaking, or damage.

Artistic Significance:
Body (2003) is a striking testament to Guo Wei’s commitment to confronting the human condition in its rawest form. The unidealized figure becomes a medium of truth-telling, challenging conventions of beauty, privacy, and posture. This work contributes to the artist’s critical vocabulary, reminding viewers of the vulnerability and corporeality that underlie all social experience.