Artwork Description

Title: Hush Hush
Artist: Feng Zhengquan
Date: n.d.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 82.7 x 82.7 in (210 x 210 cm)

Artwork Identification
Feng Zhengquan’s Hush Hush is a large-format oil painting that blends surrealist whimsy with cultural symbolism. Against a dark, almost celestial backdrop, miniature figures and objects—lipsticks, dolls, tropical flora, and ornamental motifs—are delicately arranged atop a misty gray form resembling a mountainous terrain or island. The surface is scattered with narrative vignettes: small stylized figures frozen in curious postures, surrounded by cosmetics and pastel blooms. The composition is sparse yet deeply suggestive, inviting introspection and slow visual unraveling.

Artistic Style and Influences
Feng Zhengquan is known for merging traditional Chinese aesthetics with the language of contemporary pop culture. His paintings often adopt a flat, illustrative technique with simplified shapes and saturated colors, recalling both folk art and childhood memory. Hush Hush aligns with post-1990s Chinese contemporary art's turn toward introspection, playful symbolism, and subtle social commentary. Echoes of Surrealism, as well as influences from traditional Shan Shui landscape painting, are evident in his juxtaposition of natural forms and fantastical, modern objects.

Historical Context
Emerging from the post-socialist transformation of China, Feng’s generation of artists witnessed a cultural collision between centuries-old traditions and globalized consumerism. Hush Hush can be read as a quiet meditation on this collision—where innocence, memory, and materialism coexist in surreal balance. The scattered cosmetics and doll-like figures symbolize both personal and societal transformation, hinting at themes of gender, identity, and consumer culture in a rapidly evolving society.

Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation
This artwork is in very good condition. The canvas is stable, the paint surface is intact, and there are no signs of cracking, flaking, or discoloration. The color saturation remains vivid and the integrity of the composition is fully preserved. No conservation treatment is currently necessary.

Artistic Significance
Feng Zhengquan has carved out a distinct place in the landscape of Chinese contemporary art through his poetic fusion of past and present. Hush Hush exemplifies the artist’s signature method of embedding cultural critique within visual charm. The work is both accessible and enigmatic, creating room for personal reflection while subtly commenting on broader cultural dynamics. Feng’s unique narrative voice, combined with his technical precision, ensures continued interest from collectors and curators attuned to the evolving story of Chinese visual culture.