Artwork Description

Title: Silence
Artist: Liu Gangshun
Date: n.d.
Medium: Print
Dimensions: 18 x 28.3 in (45.8 x 72 cm)

Artwork Identification
In Silence, Liu Gangshun presents a stark, snow-covered American-style building under a pale winter sky. The subdued tones and geometric simplicity of the architecture are softened by the snowdrifts that engulf the structure. A lone American flag hanging in the porch area provides a quiet but pointed accent of color and identity.

Artistic Style and Influences
The work reflects Liu Gangshun’s precisionist leanings and affinity for still, contemplative compositions. His focus on architectural forms and subdued palette echoes elements of American realism, yet it’s filtered through a distinctly introspective lens. There is an emotional stillness and psychological space within the minimalism, reminiscent of Edward Hopper, but with a more silent and observational tone.

Historical Context
Born in 1963 in Huangshi, Hubei, China, Liu Gangshun belongs to a generation of Chinese artists whose work matured during the country’s opening to international art dialogues. His choice of foreign architectural subjects suggests an outward-looking perspective and a meditation on global cultural intersections, isolation, and memory.

Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation
The print is in very good condition with crisp lines, strong color retention, and no visible damage or fading. The paper remains flat and well-preserved.

Artistic Significance
Silence captures Liu Gangshun’s mastery of mood and structure. The quiet, almost cinematic quality of the work invites viewers to pause, to contemplate stillness and solitude. Through architectural portraiture, Liu evokes themes of distance, cultural observation, and emotional absence—an evocative example of contemporary Chinese art engaged in subtle global dialogue.