Artwork Description

Title: My Fable
Artist: Hua Qing (华庆)
Date: 2018
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 63 x 102.4 in (160 × 260 cm)

Artwork Identification
My Fable by Hua Qing is a large-scale oil painting that bursts with symbolic imagery and theatrical whimsy. Central to the composition is a surreal tandem bicycle manned by a cast of fantastical figures—including a violin-playing mermaid, a floral-suited Albert Einstein, performing apes, and mechanized creatures. The entire scene unfolds in a kinetic and dreamlike tableau, brimming with narrative fragments that defy linear interpretation.

Artistic Style and Influences
Hua Qing’s work is defined by his fusion of figurative surrealism with conceptual allegory. Here, his signature anthropoid monkeys interact with human characters and historical figures in a densely packed space, using theatrical poses and exaggerated color to underscore his explorations of reason, instinct, and absurdity. The presence of scientific, mythological, and artistic symbols invites viewers to decode layered meanings.

Historical Context
Created in 2018, My Fable emerges from Hua Qing’s mature period, in which he solidifies his visual vocabulary of human-primate hybrids and allegorical storytelling. This work sits within a broader post-1980s Chinese avant-garde context, where artists increasingly employed irony, hybridity, and philosophical introspection in response to rapid social transformation and globalization.

Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition, with no visible damage or restoration. The surface is stable and the colors remain vibrant.

Artistic Significance
My Fable exemplifies Hua Qing’s ability to balance playful narrative with profound inquiry. Drawing on elements of fable, satire, and psychological portraiture, the artist constructs a layered metaphor for the human condition—confronting themes of intellect, instinct, performance, and identity. Its dynamic scale and theatrical density make it a cornerstone example of Hua Qing’s distinctive contribution to contemporary Chinese art.