Artwork Description

Title:Color Wheel 02

Artist:
Yan Lei

Date:
Undated (Contemporary)

Medium:
Oil painting

Dimensions:
220 × 220 cm (86.6 × 86.6 in)

Artwork Identification:
Color Wheel 02 is a bold and optically dynamic oil painting by Yan Lei, measuring 220 by 220 centimeters. The composition is structured around a series of concentric rings that transition through a striking range of colors: beginning from an off-white central zone, the rings intensify through bands of teal, emerald green, and silvery-gray before culminating in a dense outer rim of deep black and dark red-orange. The background is a rich, muted red-orange that harmonizes with and subtly contrasts the central palette. This chromatic layering and radial symmetry create a hypnotic sense of inward motion and atmospheric depth.

Artistic Style and Influences:
Yan Lei’s Color Wheel 02 reflects the artist’s precise manipulation of color systems and abstract form, embodying both minimalist rigor and emotional resonance. The use of emerald and teal hues within the ring structure introduces a rare vibrancy into his otherwise subtle series, while the darkened periphery imbues the work with gravitas and visual weight. The balance between warmth and coolness, light and opacity, draws comparisons to the tonal sophistication of Mark Rothko and the structural elegance of Kenneth Noland. Yet, the conceptual foundation remains distinctly Yan’s—infused with meditative repetition and chromatic logic.

Historical Context:
This work belongs to Yan Lei’s broader Color Wheel series, a sustained inquiry into how visual systems affect perception, memory, and attention. Created within the milieu of post-1990s Chinese contemporary art, the series distances itself from explicit narrative or political critique, instead addressing the mechanics of looking. Color Wheel 02, with its unusual chromatic intensity, reflects a moment of heightened energy within this meditative series, illustrating how abstraction can still offer drama and psychological charge. It is also a response to a hyper-digitized visual culture—one that too often overlooks the slow, analog rhythm of color in space.

Provenance and Authenticity:
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation:
The painting is in excellent condition. The oil surface is smooth and structurally stable, with no visible restoration, surface wear, or discoloration.

Artistic Significance:
Color Wheel 02 distinguishes itself through its chromatic intensity and dramatic compositional focus. The vivid interplay of teal, black, and red-orange creates a visual force field that draws the viewer into a slow, spiraling contemplation. It is a powerful example of Yan Lei’s ability to elevate systematic abstraction into the realm of the emotive and sublime. As collectors and curators continue to explore the convergence of global conceptualism and meditative formalism, works like Color Wheel 02 stand as compelling anchors in the discourse.