Artwork Description

Title:Color Wheel 04

Artist:
Yan Lei

Date:
Undated (Contemporary)

Medium:
Oil painting

Dimensions:
180 × 180 cm (70.9 × 70.9 in)

Artwork Identification:
Color Wheel 04 is a radiant, multilayered oil painting by Yan Lei, measuring 180 by 180 centimeters. At the center lies a small, softly glowing pale yellow circle—an apparent nucleus of light—surrounded by a seamless gradient of deeply saturated hues. A black halo encircles the yellow core, followed by a vivid red band that gradually diffuses into soft pink, then shifts into pale, bluish-white tones. The composition concludes with a rich, deep blue outermost ring. The entire structure appears to radiate from the center in rhythmic, hypnotic motion, creating both optical depth and symbolic resonance.

Artistic Style and Influences:
This work exemplifies Yan Lei’s signature use of formal repetition, color precision, and contemplative abstraction. The fluid chromatic transitions and symmetrical composition recall both the transcendental focus of the Color Field movement and the optical engagement of Op Art. The glowing central core and gradated bands suggest influences ranging from the spiritual abstractions of Hilma af Klint to the meditative geometries of James Turrell. Yan’s Color Wheel 04 is, however, distinctly grounded in his own conceptual lineage—one that fuses Eastern metaphysical ideas with contemporary concerns about visual saturation and perception.

Historical Context:
As part of Yan Lei’s long-running Color Wheel series, this painting reflects a moment of heightened spiritual symbolism and chromatic richness. Emerging in the context of a rapidly evolving Chinese contemporary art scene, the series distances itself from narrative content in favor of visual systems and cognitive engagement. Color Wheel 04, with its central yellow light encased in bands of darkness and color, mirrors a universal motif of illumination emerging from obscurity. It resonates with global traditions that use circular form to represent enlightenment, transformation, and the cyclical nature of consciousness.

Provenance and Authenticity:
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation:
The painting is in excellent condition. The oil surface is clean and stable, with no signs of restoration, abrasion, or discoloration. No conservation treatment is recommended at this time.

Artistic Significance:
Color Wheel 04 stands out within Yan Lei’s series for its symbolic richness and dramatic chromatic evolution. From the radiant yellow core to the enveloping blue outer ring, the work can be read as a metaphor for vision, awakening, or the soul’s journey outward through layers of awareness. Its hypnotic visual pull, combined with its meditative format, makes it especially resonant in both private and institutional contexts. As interest grows in abstraction with spiritual and philosophical depth, this painting represents a particularly compelling expression of contemporary color theory fused with timeless metaphysical inquiry.