Wang Guangyi 王广义

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Wang Guangyi 王广义 Hailed as the father of the ‘Political Pop’ movement in China and one of the leading artists from the 1985 'New Wave' art movement, Wang Guangyi’s paintings involve amalgamating, confusing and blurring opposing ideological beliefs. With the influence of consumerism that China began to experience with the Open Door Policy, Wang Guangyi then created the Great Criticism series in the late 1990s as a reaction to the influx of a new visual regime of advertising images promoting newly available and high-priced commodities. His artworks are an ingenious blend of the clashing ideologies of socialism and Western consumerism and capitalism - the fantasy world of painted illusion of harmony between the two conflicting regimes that seems impossible in reality. Juxtaposing Chinese revolutionary images with famous Western consumer logos (Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Marlboro, Porsche, McDonald’s), the artist’s works provide a criticism of the popularity of Western commercial culture in China. Born in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province of China in 1957, Wang Guangyi was graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now China Academy of Art) in 1984. He currently lives and works in Beijing, China. As one of the most representative artists in the contemporary Chinese art world, Wang Guangyi has widely exhibited both at home and aboard in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Jakarta, Tokyo, Basel, Berlin, Venice, Milan, Paris, London,Moscow, Sao Paulo, San Francisco and New York. His works are amongst major museum and private collections, notably the DSL Collection in the USA, Museum Ludwig in Germany, the Saatchi Gallery in the UK and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in the USA. In 2007, his massive Mao AO painting (1988) was sold for US$4.1 million in London, and his works continuously fetched outstanding auction results, making the artist one of the most commercially successful artists in the contemporary Chinese art world. Main Gallery: G/F, 21-31 Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2869-8802 Branch Gallery: G/F, 27 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2542-3143 http://www.schoeniartgallery.com [email protected] .

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New Works by Fang Lijun Aileen June Wang
: march / april 9 March/April 2009 | Volume 8, Number 2 Inside Artist Features: Wang Guangyi, Xiao Lu, Fang Lijun, Conroy/Sanderson, Wu Gaozhong, Jin Feng Rereading the Goddess of Democracy Conversations with Zhang Peili, Jin Jiangbo US$12.00 NT$350.00 A DECLARATION OF PROTEST Late at night on February 4th, 2009, the Public Security Bureau of Chaoyang District in Beijing notified the Organizing Committee of the Twentieth Anniversary of the China/Avant- garde Exhibition that the commemorative event, which was to be held at the Beijing National Agricultural Exhibition Center on February 5th, 3 pm, must be cancelled. There was no legal basis for the provision provided. As the Head of the Preparatory Committee of the China/Avant- garde Exhibition in 1989, and the Chief Consultant and Curator of the current commemorative events, I would like to lodge a strong protest to the Public Security Bureau of Chaoyang District in Beijing. These commemorative events are legitimate cultural practices, conducted within the bounds of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China. The Organizer and the working team have committed tremendous time, resources, and energy to launch Gao Minglu, organizer and curator of these events. Members from the art and cultural communities the events commemorating the twentieth as well as the general public are ready to participate. Without anniversary of the 1989 China/Avant-garde Exhibition, reads his protest letter in front of any prior consultation and communication, the Public Security an audience in Beijing, China on February Bureau of Chaoyang District arbitrarily issued an order to forbid 5th, 2009.
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