Yue Minjun (Chinese, b.1962)

LOT ID: 72358

Sky- Animal-Human being, 2002

Acrylic, on canvas

31.5 х 31.5 in. cm.

Signed, other, and dated, lower left; signed in Chinese & Pinyin and dated, verso. Certificate of Authenticity available.

Lot description

Presenting a contemporary take on traditional Chinese beliefs and religion, Yue Minjun provides a characteristic self-portrait set against a backdrop of flying white cranes. Typical of Yue's figurative paintings, the artist depicts himself with pink skin and a wide, laughing grin that refers to images of a smiling Buddha, which is meant to remind people to impart the truths of the Buddhist teachings and uphold its values in their everyday lives. Odd and unnatural, Yue’s mocking portrait questions the validity of these standards as they relate to the modern world. Suggesting a nostalgia for tradition, Yue uses the traditional portrayal of cranes, which signify good luck and hopes for prosperity and peace in Chinese culture. With his eyes covered, Yue is unaware of the flock of cranes behind him, in essence blind to his own good fortune. In this unique manner, Yue conveys the notion that traditional Chinese values and perceptions of the world are fleeting in today's modern culture. This painting is in excellent condition.

Leading Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun (b.1962) has become a prominent figure in the international art market with his iconic self portraits that offer a vivacious take on modern-day China. Depicted pink and laughing with a frozen grin on his face, Minjun’s representations of himself wittily compare to images of the laughing Buddha and are set within visual adaptations of familiar Chinese and European artworks. Grotesque yet lighthearted, Minjun’s paintings have become the consummate symbol of the “cynical realist” style that grew out of the mounting political pressures and social contradictions in the post–Tienanmen period of the early to mid-1990s. Minjun was born in Daqing, Hei Long Liang province of China and moved to Beijing after graduating from the Hebei Normal University in 1989. His work has recently been the subject of solo exhibitions at The Pace Gallery, Beijing, China (2011); ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, Denmark (2011); Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai, China (2010); Today Art Museum, Beijing, China (2009); Pace Prints, New York, NY (2008); and Queens Museum of Art, New York, NY (2007).
Selected Public Collections:
The Saatchi Gallery, London, UL
Burger Collection, Berlin, Germany
ESSL Museum, Klosterneuburg, Austria
Long March Space, Beijing, China
Today Art Museum, Beijing, China

Literature and Catalogue Raisoneé
Literature and Catalogue Raisoneé
Publication:

Chinese Artists of Today, Yue Minjun: The Lost Self, p.142, Documentation of Today Art Museum, Hebei Education Press, Apr. 2005
Condition Report
Condition Report
Current lot doesn't have any damage.
History and Provenance
History and Provenance
Provenance:
Private Collection.
Triumph Art Space, Beijing, China.
Private Collection, USA.
Shipping Information
Shipping Information
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Shipping Weight: 12 lbs

Framing: Yes (0 x 0 inches)

Item Location: New Jersey, USA

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Max Wolf

Senior Specialist, Contemporary Art, Post-War Contemporary

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(212) 497-9700 399

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Lot ID

72358

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Yue Minjun

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Sky- Animal-Human being

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Yue Minjun (Chinese, b.1962) LOT ID: 72358 Sky- Animal-Human being, 2002

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LOT ID: 72358

Sky- Animal-Human being, 2002