Artwork Description

Title: Person for Sale
Artist: Zhu Fadong (朱发东)
Date: n.d.
Medium: Sculpture (Edition 9/16)
Dimensions: 68.9 x 29.9 x 30.7 in (175 x 76 x 78 cm); 90 kg

Artwork Identification:
This life-sized painted sculpture by conceptual artist Zhu Fadong portrays a businessman mid-stride, carrying a briefcase, with a sign on his back that reads “此人出售 价格面议” (“This Person is for Sale – Price Negotiable”). The editioned work captures a striking commentary on commodification and identity within China's shifting social structure.

Artistic Style and Influences:
Zhu's style merges realism and conceptual provocation, rooted in his training in fine arts and further shaped by his foray into performance and interventionist practice. The sculpture’s hyper-realistic form contrasts with its ironic message, drawing from performance art traditions and evoking the bold critical tone seen in late 20th-century Chinese conceptualism.

Historical Context:
This piece is derived from Zhu's pivotal 1994 performance in Beijing. During China’s rapid economic reforms, Zhu walked through the city wearing a similar sign, exposing the vulnerabilities of migrant laborers and rural populations who struggled for survival in urban landscapes. The work reflects broader anxieties around identity, displacement, and commodification in post-reform China.

Provenance:
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation:
The sculpture is in very good condition, with intact surface coloration and no visible structural damage.

Artistic Significance:
“Person for Sale” remains one of Zhu Fadong’s most iconic conceptual statements. It underscores his position as a critical voice in Chinese contemporary art, confronting socio-political realities with irony and symbolic clarity. This editioned sculptural interpretation of his earlier performance reinforces the enduring relevance of his message on the commodification of human identity.