"When I Was Ever Young No.7" is a conceptual and visually stunning oil painting by renowned Chinese artist Liu Zheng, (b. 1965) and belongs to his iconic “When I Was Ever Young” series of paintings. This work literally and metaphorically demonstrates various layers of complex visual space through sophisticated reflections and refractions of figures. Here the artist paints himself and the entire scene in the grey-scale of a black and white photograph, diminishing his visual role in the narrative. He places himself behind a large piece of glass he holds in both hands, upon which an ethereal colorful portrait of a beautiful nude woman appears to swim atop the surface of the glass. The source of her reflection is unknown, creating an incredible level of emotional and psychological tension. Questions of the level of interaction of figures within two different special planes are posited, as well as the spatial relationship between these figures and the viewer himself.

Liu Zheng was born in Beijing in 1965, and graduated 1989 in Foreign Languages from Capital Normal University. Zheng is most widely known for his realist, figurative oil paintings that illustrate illusions, misconceptions, and underlying truths of the Modern culture of today by combining Western realistic oil painting with traditional Chinese influence. He has major exhibitions in the Amsterdam Art Fair in the Netherlands, the 2nd China Songzhuang Cultural and Art Festival, Beijing Times Gallery 1st Contemporary Art Top-pick Show, and Beijing Dongcheng District Art Center 1st Oil-painting Show. The artist currently lives and works in Beijing.