The gleaming red hand of China looms large against optimistic bright blue skies, holding denizens of miniature red figures that clamoring upon the hand's open palm, feeling safe at least for a short amount of time, as many are slowly slipping off, desperate to hold on, only to inevitably tumble from the sky. "Controlling No. 3" (2009) by Chinese Contemporary artist Shi Lifeng (China, b. 1968) powerfully and beautifully encapsulates the literal and metaphorical elements that have made him one of China's most respected Contemporary Realist artists. This stunning oil painting is one of Shi's largest and finest to date, measuring 59 x 78.75 inches (150 x 200 cm) unframed and in excellent condition. This work can ship either on stretchers or and professionally rolled off the stretchers as desired.

As one the most critically acclaimed artists of the Chinese Avant-Garde movement working today, Shi Lifeng's oil paintings are unmistakable in their consistent theme of the anonymous struggle of the individual against a domineering power. The artist graduated graduated from Hei Bei Normal College in 1991 and has exhibited international at such institutions as the Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art (Shanghai, China), Yang Gallery (Singapore), and Beijing Contemporary Art Museum (Beijing, China), among many others. His works are highly sought after on both the primary and secondary markets.