Artwork Description

Title: Deep Emotions
Artist: Yang Fan
Date: 2004
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 44.9 × 57.5 in (114 × 146 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Deep Emotions is an evocative oil on canvas by contemporary Chinese artist Yang Fan. At the center of the composition, a young girl with porcelain skin and a green ribbon headband rests her chin gently on her hands, gazing contemplatively over a flat expanse of cool blue. Arranged before her are delicate miniature objects—a stiletto heel, a cocktail glass filled with fruit and flowers, a teddy bear, a syringe, and assorted trinkets—each rendered with hyperreal precision against the minimalist backdrop. The overall effect is both whimsical and subtly melancholic, drawing the viewer into a world of inner longing and symbolic suggestion.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Yang Fan’s work exemplifies the Neo-Pop aesthetic emerging from post-1990s China, marked by a blend of polished realism and graphic flatness reminiscent of advertising and fashion illustration. In Deep Emotions, the artist channels an East Asian minimalism while invoking the influence of Japanese visual culture, such as manga and kawaii iconography. His refined, almost digital-like brushwork and clean pastel palette reinforce a synthetic, dreamy quality that stands at the intersection of consumer culture, fantasy, and introspection.

3. Historical Context
Produced in 2004, Deep Emotions reflects Yang Fan’s continued exploration of identity and desire within the context of China's rapid modernization. The early 2000s were marked by an artistic reckoning with individualism, the feminine ideal, and the psychological pressures of an increasingly commercialized society. This piece captures that cultural zeitgeist through its subtle critique of material symbols and emotional vacancy. The girl’s blank stare becomes a poignant metaphor for alienation in a world overflowing with consumer signifiers.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. The canvas is taut and structurally sound, with no visible abrasions, losses, or signs of restoration. Pigmentation remains vibrant, and the surface has been well preserved under proper archival care.

6. Artistic Significance
Deep Emotions stands as a strong example of Yang Fan’s signature aesthetic—a seamless blend of soft realism and pop-inspired symbolism. The work captures a uniquely feminine psychology while engaging broader themes of innocence, consumption, and emotional detachment. Collectors of contemporary Chinese art will recognize this painting as emblematic of Yang’s contribution to the evolution of post-Cynical Realism and its quieter, more introspective successors.