About Yue Minjun - A Chinese Artist

Yue Minjun's paintings offer a light-heartedcollectivism? Does his work indicate
approach to philosophical enquiry andself-identification that represents the pressing of
contemplation of existence. Drawing connotationsthe self-identity into a collective existence? Of the
to the disparate images of the Laughing Buddhamany questions that arise, this is The mose basic:
and the inane gap toothed grin of Alfred E.Can the meaning of Yue Minjun's self-portraits be
Newman, Yue's self-portraits have been describecategorized as auratic or post-auratic Within the
by theorist Li Xianting as "a self-ironic response todevelopment of modern art, the search for reality
the spiritual vacuum and folly of modern-daythrough representation has been fully deter-mined
China. The Paintings, sculptures and installations ofby the relationship between the individual absolute
Yue Minjun always feature uniform laughing faces.and reality. Yue subverts the grandiose aura of
And if these laughing faces are observedart history through his adaptation of pop
carefully, it will be noticed that these faces areaesthetics.
the face of Yue Minjun.Selected Exhibitions-
The acidic tones and commercialized vacuity of2004
his works are used to underscore the insincerity- Yue Minjun: Sculptures And Paintings, Schoeni
of his figures' mirth. As both antagonists andArt Gallery, Hong Kong
anti-heroes, Yue's hysterical cohorts equally bully2003
the viewer and stand as subjects of ridicule. Using- Yue Minjun: Beijing Ironicals, Prüss & Ochs
laughter as a denotation of violence andGallery, Berlin, Germany
vulnerability, Yue's paintings balance a zeitgeist of- Yue Minjun, Meile Gallery, Switzerland
modern day anxiety with an Eastern philosophical2002
ethos, positing the response to the true nature of- Soaking In Silly Laughter: One Of Art Singapore
reality as an endless cynical guffaw.Yue Minjun2002, Soobin Art Gallery, Singapore
presents various realities that emerge as the- Yue Minjun: Handling, One World Art Center,
background behind the laughing visages. TheseChina
realities emerge through various easy to2000
recognize symbols, metaphors and signs, or- Red Ocean: Yue Minjun, Chinese Contemporary,
through depictions of daily life. The laughing facesLondon, Uk
and the representations of reality in Yue Minjun'sConclusions:
works are closely related. And this relationshipYue Minjun's paintings offer a light-hearted
shows Yue Minjun's fairly easy to read cynicism inapproach to philosophical enquiry and
confrontation with reality.contemplation of existence. The laughing faces
Can the works of Yue Minjun be said to beand the representations of reality in Yue Minjun's
self-portraits? Does his artwork present anyworks are closely related
insight into the conflict between individuality andWhat to Do Next...