Chinese contemporary art critic Li Xian Ting once listed Mao Yan in 'Exploration of Realism' as the representation of Chinese Neo Realism and described his works as 'portraying an era of disappearing faces'. Mao's portrait figures transcend race, sex, personality and personal characteristics and are further on combined with humanities, historical elements and so on to become personal spiritual icons. Mao's concentration and exploration on portrait studies transcends themes of contemporary art practices and has become one of the small groups of artists who doesn't focus on concepts, behaviour and new media, but concentrates on the possibility of reviving language and themes of classical painting. Mao's oil paintings have been marked as an upgrade in Chinese contemporary oil portraits and his iconic spiritual portraits also established his irreplaceable status in contemporary China.
Read MoreMao Yan has many times been invited to present his works in exhibitions all over the world, including the Museum of Art of Sao Paolo, the Belvue Museum in Brussels, the opening exhibition of Minsheng Art Museum in Shanghai 2010, Pierre in Paris and Shanghai Art Museum in 2009. Since his graduation from China Central Academy of Fines Arts, Mao Yan has lived and taught n Nanjing, a historical city that matches concordantly with the spirituality of his paintings. In both teaching and painting, Mao Yan and his fellow artists and students consists a group of pioneers who pursue the transparency and impartialness of painting themes and make up a special artistic cultural language. This exhibition will present to viewers an undeniable force in Chinese contemporary art and the poetic spirit that transcends time.
Text courtesy Lin & Lin Gallery.
