Artwork Description

Title: Drying Fish
Artist: Zhu Ming
Date: n.d.
Medium: Work on paper
Dimensions: 16.5 x 10.6 in (42 x 27 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Drying Fish is a striking work on paper by Zhu Ming, a pioneering figure in Chinese contemporary performance art. Executed in expressive brushstrokes, this composition features two suspended fish flanking a column of stylized Chinese calligraphy. Rendered in minimalist ink with touches of vibrant red and cerulean blue, the work conveys a visual dialogue between form and symbolism. The seal mark in red anchors the piece in traditional literati aesthetics while engaging with a contemporary sensibility.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Though best known for his avant-garde performance works, Zhu Ming’s two-dimensional practice retains a visceral and gestural energy. Drying Fish reflects the artist’s ongoing engagement with bodily presence and existential fragility, even when abstracted into symbolic subjects. The expressive, almost calligraphic brushwork echoes the spontaneity of ink painting, bridging contemporary conceptualism with classical Chinese visual traditions.

3. Historical Context
Zhu Ming rose to prominence in the 1990s within Beijing’s East Village, a seminal community for experimental performance art in China. While Drying Fish diverges from his performative oeuvre, it embodies similar meditations on vulnerability and isolation, themes that have marked his career. This piece can be read within a broader cultural context—referencing sustenance, ritual, and survival—as well as personal narratives related to memory and daily life.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is in very good condition, with no visible signs of damage or deterioration. The pigments remain vivid and the paper shows no evidence of foxing, folds, or surface abrasions.

6. Artistic Significance
Drying Fish presents a rare and intimate insight into Zhu Ming’s painterly practice. As an artist more often associated with ephemeral performance and bodily immersion, this work on paper highlights his conceptual range and ability to condense complex ideas into symbolic imagery. It stands as a collectible piece within the broader narrative of contemporary Chinese art and performance.