Artwork Description

Title: Losing Gravity No. 4
Artist: Xiao Ping
Date: 2007
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 78.7 × 45.3 in (200 × 115 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Xiao Ping’s Losing Gravity No. 4 (2007) is a provocative and psychologically charged oil painting that juxtaposes fragmented corporeality with a surreal still life of glistening fruit and dessert. A large, fleshy torso rendered in visceral reds occupies the lower canvas, while the upper portion floats with glistening cherries, dragon fruit, and a sliced tart, painted with equal sensual intensity. This unsettling composition blurs the line between human form and object, pleasure and violence, in a dreamscape devoid of gravity.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Xiao Ping blends elements of photorealism, expressionist distortion, and the post-1990s Chinese Cynical Realist aesthetic. His brushwork fluctuates between soft blurs and sharp, saturated detail, echoing the techniques of contemporary Western figurative painters like Jenny Saville, while channeling the conceptual unease of post-Socialist Chinese art. The ambiguous narrative and dismembered forms invite comparison to the work of Yue Minjun and the Symbolist tradition.

3. Historical Context
Produced in 2007, this painting belongs to a period when Chinese contemporary art was asserting itself on the global stage, often grappling with the consequences of consumerism, materialism, and body politics. In Losing Gravity No. 4, Xiao Ping reflects on identity fragmentation and corporeal objectification, visualizing the effects of external pressures—cultural, societal, and sensory—on the modern subject. The floating fruit, rendered with glossy realism, serves as a metaphor for commodification and temptation, while the torqued body anchors the work in psychological tension.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition. The surface exhibits no signs of structural damage, significant abrasions, or discoloration. Some pigment layering and dripping effects are inherent to the artist's technique and intentional textural expression.

6. Artistic Significance
Losing Gravity No. 4 is emblematic of Xiao Ping’s visceral visual language, combining anatomical rawness with surreal, symbolic elements. As a distinguished master painter and educator in Jiangsu’s academic circles, Xiao’s work bridges institutional authority with radical experimentation. This piece stands as a striking and psychologically resonant exploration of human fragility, appetites, and transformation—making it a compelling addition to both private and institutional collections.