Artwork Description

Title:Off

Artist
Zhan Yang

Date
n.d.

Medium:
Oil on canvas

Dimensions
39.4 x 47.2 in (100 x 120 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
In Off, Zhan Yang presents a provocative and satirical tableau featuring the rear views of seven women against a bold backdrop of the Union Jack. The figures are stylized in vibrant hues, each bearing political or economic symbols such as dollar signs, euro symbols, “IN” stamps, and British flags. Their poses, expressions, and minimal attire create a playful yet pointed commentary on identity, consumerism, and sociopolitical allegiance.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
This painting merges pop art aesthetics with contemporary political critique. The bright, artificial palette and cheeky use of national symbols align Yang’s work with artists like Allen Jones or Tom Wesselmann, while the meticulous attention to body form and color blocking exhibits Yang’s formal command. The repetition of forms echoes Warholian seriality, and the political undertones recall the tongue-in-cheek narratives of postmodernism.

3. Historical Context
Although undated, Off can be interpreted within the context of Brexit-era tensions in the UK. The symbolic inscriptions on the women's bodies—“IN,” “£,” “€,” “EU,” and British flags—hint at debates around national identity, globalization, and economic autonomy. The inclusion of stylized racial and hair-type diversity hints at broader questions of inclusion and cultural representation in the Western media gaze.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
Artwork is in very good condition. The canvas surface is clean and vibrant, with no visible damage, warping, or restoration.

6. Artistic Significance
Off stands as a bold expression of Zhan Yang’s transnational voice—Chinese-born yet engaged with global contemporary themes. Through humor and hyperbole, the painting critiques superficial cultural identity constructs and commodification. The irreverent framing of bodies as political battlegrounds is emblematic of Yang’s interdisciplinary engagement with both Western iconography and Eastern philosophical detachment. As a visual artifact of a divided political moment, Off is both timely and timeless.