Artwork Description

Title: Dream Girl 2
Artist: Ren Jianhui
Date: 2002
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: Unspecified

1. Artwork Identification
Dream Girl 2 is a lyrical oil painting by Ren Jianhui, blending figuration with expressive abstraction. A nude female figure softly emerges from a vivid swirl of color, her body rendered in dusky tones and surrounded by radiant bursts of turquoise, yellow, and violet. The woman’s delicate smile and ethereal form create a dreamlike atmosphere that gives the work its Title:. This visual ambiguity—between figure and environment, reality and fantasy—is central to Ren’s stylistic vocabulary.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
This work epitomizes Ren Jianhui’s semi-realistic style, influenced by his mentor Wu Guanzhong, one of China’s modern art pioneers. Like Wu, Ren engages in the fusion of Western oil painting techniques with a sensibility deeply rooted in Chinese ink traditions. His nuanced treatment of the female figure—neither overtly realist nor entirely abstract—suggests a primitivist return to raw human form. Meanwhile, the expressive brushwork and rich palette contribute to an emotional immediacy that is hallucinatory, even meditative.

3. Historical Context
Painted in 2002, Dream Girl 2 belongs to a period of heightened cross-cultural exchange in Chinese contemporary art. Artists like Ren Jianhui, trained in both traditional and modern institutions, were responding to the rise of globalization while seeking a distinctly Chinese voice in their creative practice. His blend of modernity and introspective intimacy situates the work within the ongoing dialogue between personal identity and collective cultural experience.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is reported to be in very good condition. The surface shows no signs of cracking, discoloration, or restoration. The vibrant pigment retains its depth, with the textured layering appearing well preserved.

6. Artistic Significance
Ren Jianhui’s Dream Girl 2 continues his poetic exploration of femininity, memory, and subconscious vision. The painting’s dreamlike ambiance, enhanced by Ren’s signature use of fragmented light and layered brushstrokes, marks it as a standout within his oeuvre. Recognized internationally—including his designation among the “Top 60 Masters of International Contemporary Artists” in 2013—Ren’s work resonates with collectors and curators for its subtle power, fusing emotional intimacy with technical sophistication.