Artwork Description

Title: Fang Lijun
Artist: Shen Jingdong
Date: 2015
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 23.6 x 19.7 in (60 x 50 cm)

Artwork Identification:
In Fang Lijun, Shen Jingdong presents a stylized, expressive caricature of the iconic Chinese contemporary artist Fang Lijun. The exaggerated features—bald head, wide eyes, and agape mouth—are rendered in Shen’s signature toy-like aesthetic, evoking both humor and critique. This portrait melds homage with parody, positioning Fang’s image within a visual language that has become synonymous with Shen’s broader commentary on individual identity and collective consciousness.

Artistic Style and Influences:
Shen Jingdong’s style, informed by Dadaism and pop art, is distinguished by glossy surfaces, bold colors, and minimalist forms. His art often satirizes figures of authority or cultural prominence, and Fang Lijun continues this trajectory by playfully immortalizing a leading figure of the Cynical Realism movement. While Fang Lijun’s own works reflect disillusionment with the post-Tiananmen era, Shen's treatment reinterprets such disillusionment through a lens of childlike exaggeration, softening critique with visual levity. Shen’s artistic voice contributes to the “New Chinese Pop” movement that emerged in the early 2000s, reflecting on commercialization, hero-worship, and media iconography.

Historical Context:
This piece occupies a space within the vibrant discourse of Chinese art history, bridging generational commentary between artists. Shen, who transitioned from a long military career into the world of fine art, emerged during the post-1990s wave of Chinese contemporary artists reexamining state imagery and social identity. By portraying Fang Lijun—a cornerstone figure of Chinese Cynical Realism—Shen indirectly revisits the shifting artistic paradigms of the 1990s and 2000s, where state critique gave way to symbolic reinterpretation and commercial reabsorption.

Provenance:
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation:
The artwork is in very good condition. The canvas is stable, with no evidence of paint loss, warping, or surface abrasions. Minor wear on the lower edge of the canvas is visible but does not affect the visual integrity of the composition.

Artistic Significance:
As part of Shen Jingdong’s broader body of work, Fang Lijun exemplifies the artist’s deft ability to merge humor with cultural inquiry. Shen’s international exhibitions—from Hong Kong to Miami—have underscored his role as a leading figure in Chinese postwar and contemporary art. This particular painting not only pays tribute to an influential peer but also highlights the interconnectedness of Chinese artists across generations who continue to reshape global perceptions of Chinese identity and expression. Through visual satire and symbolic reinterpretation, Shen asserts the enduring relevance of artistic dialogue within a rapidly transforming society.