Artwork Description

Title: Moored – Far Away
Artist: Yushan Dong
Date: 2016
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 23.6 x 35.4 in (60 x 90 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Rendered in richly saturated acrylics, Moored – Far Away by Yushan Dong depicts a poignant scene of a rusting red automobile, long abandoned in a sea of deep blue prairie grass under an expansive sky. The car’s corroded shell and the leaning fence posts along a winding road evoke a sense of stillness and melancholy. The composition’s contrast between vivid cobalt hues and the warm, decaying bodywork of the vehicle imbues the scene with narrative depth, inviting reflection on memory, passage, and time.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Dong’s visual language blends realist precision with expressive color modulation, drawing on both contemporary Chinese realism and atmospheric symbolism. His attention to the aging textures of the car body and the windswept grass shows a command of tonal variation and layered brushwork. The theatrical tension between the inert vehicle and the endless horizon recalls elements of American Regionalism and contemporary post-industrial landscape painting, yet retains an unmistakable lyricism that is uniquely Dong’s.

3. Historical Context
Created in 2016, Moored – Far Away reflects a growing interest among emerging Chinese artists in themes of urban decay, isolation, and the tension between industrial development and natural reclamation. Dong’s work is situated within a generation of post-1980s Chinese painters who grapple with rapid modernization, memory, and nostalgia through visual metaphor. The scene resonates with a universal longing for lost time, anchored in the distinct geography of China's northern grasslands.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition. The canvas is stable, the acrylic surface retains vibrant color and texture, and there are no visible areas of paint loss, craquelure, or restoration. It is housed in a modern frame appropriate for exhibition or collection.

6. Artistic Significance
Yushan Dong has established a compelling voice among the younger generation of contemporary Chinese painters. His works have been featured in major exhibitions such as the “Elephant in the Small” Chongqing series, Youth Art 100, and the Powerlong Art Award exhibitions. Moored – Far Away is emblematic of Dong’s ability to infuse quiet landscapes with psychological weight and poetic atmosphere. A contemplative and visually arresting piece, it represents an important moment in the evolving dialogue between landscape, memory, and identity in 21st-century Chinese art.