Artwork Description

Title: New Naked Girl
Artist: Zhu Fadong
Date: 2016
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 57.5 x 39.8 in (146 x 100 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
New Naked Girl (2016) presents an expressive portrait of a reclining female figure rendered in Zhu Fadong’s distinctive painterly style. Executed in bold, gestural brushstrokes, the work juxtaposes raw corporeality with a composed gaze, emphasizing both vulnerability and self-possession. The composition is rooted in immediacy, with thickly applied strokes and heightened tonal contrasts animating the subject’s body within a lush, stylized setting.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Known for his multifaceted practice spanning conceptual art, performance, and traditional media, Zhu brings a deeply physical engagement to this painting. The dynamic surface treatment reflects expressionist and post-impressionist influences, while the figure’s assertive posture resists objectification. Zhu’s painterly intensity here contrasts with the conceptual austerity of his earlier installations, yet maintains the artist’s core commitment to probing identity and representation.

3. Historical Context
By 2016, Zhu Fadong had established himself as a central voice in Chinese contemporary art. While best known for provocative conceptual works such as This Person is For Sale (1994), Zhu’s return to figurative painting reflects a broader turn among Chinese artists toward introspection and subjectivity. New Naked Girl occupies this shift, exploring personal intimacy and the body as a site of tension between social roles and individual agency.

4. Provenance
Further provenance details available upon request.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition. The canvas is structurally sound with no visible cracks, losses, or conservation issues. The paint surface remains vibrant and stable.

6. Artistic Significance
New Naked Girl offers a rare glimpse into the painterly dimension of Zhu Fadong’s oeuvre. More than a mere portrait, the piece acts as a meditation on embodiment, femininity, and the viewer’s gaze. It exemplifies Zhu’s ability to engage socio-political themes through intimate and materially expressive forms—positioning him not only as a conceptual provocateur, but also as a compelling figurative painter in the contemporary Chinese art landscape.