Artwork Description

Title: Raincoat No.2
Artist: Wu Jianjun (吴建军)
Date: 2007
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 98.4 x 51.2 in (250 x 130 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Wu Jianjun’s Raincoat No.2 is a striking large-scale oil painting depicting a spectral, semi-transparent figure of a child enveloped in luminous hues of yellow, white, and green. The brushwork is fluid and emotive, with the contours of the figure dissolving into the background. The painting’s layered surface and diaphanous treatment of form give it a haunting, dreamlike quality, characteristic of Wu’s psychologically driven visual language.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Rendered in Wu Jianjun’s signature expressionist style, Raincoat No.2 exemplifies the artist’s mastery in blending figuration with abstraction. The work resonates with influences from post-Cultural Revolution Chinese art, yet remains intensely personal and introspective. His approach aligns loosely with Neo-Expressionism, but is imbued with a quiet melancholy and a distinctly East Asian sensibility. The blurring of edges, transparent glazes, and gestural swaths of color situate this painting within a lineage of emotionally resonant portraiture that speaks more to inner states than physical likeness.

3. Historical Context
Emerging in the early 2000s following the rise of the “Sichuan School” and the broadening of Chinese contemporary art after the 1980s, Raincoat No.2 reflects the psychological introspection seen in the wake of China’s rapid modernization. Wu Jianjun, a Chengdu-based artist, was part of a generation who moved beyond overt political iconography to probe questions of memory, identity, and fragility. The figure in Raincoat No.2—caught between material and immaterial—mirrors a society negotiating tradition and transformation.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. The surface shows no signs of paint loss, flaking, or restoration. The canvas remains taut and stable, and the pigment retains its original saturation. No structural or conservation issues are present upon visual inspection.

6. Artistic Significance
Raincoat No.2 stands among Wu Jianjun’s most evocative works, combining emotive force with technical finesse. Exhibited internationally, including in venues such as the Blueroof Art Museum (Chengdu), De Sarthe Gallery (Beijing), and Asia Now (Paris), Wu's oeuvre has garnered critical acclaim for its psychological depth and painterly sophistication. This piece encapsulates the artist’s ability to articulate vulnerability and presence through abstraction, positioning him as a vital voice in contemporary Chinese painting.