Artwork Description

Title:Sweet

Artist
Shaoli Chen

Date
n.d.

Medium:
Ink and watercolor on paper

Dimensions
29.9 × 28.7 in (76 × 73 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Sweet by Shaoli Chen features two young women captured in a moment of quiet ease, their postures relaxed and their gazes subtly inquisitive. One stands casually with hands in pockets and a soft smile, while the other leans with slight amusement, their poses and clothing conveying an understated, natural charm. Their bags—one mint green, the other printed with “Eh! Dongwoai”—add a contemporary, personalized touch.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
With delicate brushwork and a harmonious palette, Chen melds traditional Chinese painting techniques with modern fashion illustration. The figures are rendered with elongated proportions and stylized facial features—hallmarks of his distinctive portraiture. Textures in the background foliage echo classical shanshui motifs, grounding the figures in a timeless yet current atmosphere.

3. Historical Context
Part of a broader series of works exploring femininity and fashion in a rapidly changing China, Sweet reflects Chen’s engagement with both heritage and modern urban life. By portraying young women as confident yet casual, he reveals evolving cultural norms of self-expression and autonomy in the post-Mao, globalized context.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition. No visible damage; any soft fold marks from storage are unobtrusive and do not impact the composition.

6. Artistic Significance
Sweet is emblematic of Shaoli Chen’s strength in combining figure, fashion, and setting with fluid cohesion. His portraits offer not only aesthetic pleasure but also social commentary—this piece in particular presenting youth not as spectacle, but as lived experience imbued with personality, identity, and cultural hybridity.