ZHONG CHENG

Zhong Cheng 2024 Autumn Auction「Modern And Contemporary Art」

  • Zhong Cheng 2014 Spring Auction「Morden And Contemporary Art」
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    102

    QI ZHILONG (b. 1962)

    Chinese Girl

    2007

    Oil on Canvas
    220x180cm

    Signed Qi Zhi-Long in Chinese, dated 2007

    Estimate TWD 5,500,000-8,000,000
    USD 183,300-266,700
    HKD 0-0

    Hammer Price TWD 5,664,000
    USD 0
    HKD 0

Provenance："PROVENANCE Private Collection, Europe"

Illustrated：

Exhibition：

Exposition：

During the mid-1990s, Chinese Contemporary Art went through a series of movements by the 85 New Wave Movement. The new globalization and capitalism brought a strong impact on the art world. New talents in experimental and avant-garde art style sprouted and modern consumerism observations became the inspirations for artists. During this time of change, Qi Zhilong conservatively and subtly combined classical, modern, revolution and the feelings of a teenage girl to become his art language and material.   His artworks speak of history and also the highlights of the era. The gentle and warm colors; detailed and realistic approach and his sophisticated foundation won appreciation and admiration worldwide.

Qi Zhilong employed bright colors nurtured by fashion and the Cultural Revolution and expressed a pure yet ambiguous image in his paintings. He intentionally mocked the trends of the contemporary society. He said “yes, I am being sarcastic. Even when I’m picking a character, the girl’s smirk is a satire.” Post 1998, gaudy art became extreme and Qi Zhilong doesn’t think he fits into this art form and became his internal transformation and pursuits for the origin. After 2000, he went back to traditional romanticism and the girl in the painting is replaced by renaissance that is pure and full of affections. The beauty of the girl is presented sincerely.

This “Chinese Girl” is painted in 2007, and inherited the art language of Qi Zhilong who intended to imply the complicated feelings during the time of turbulence when educated youth relocated and worked in the countryside or mountain areas. He tried to mimic the female red-guard image in his childhood memories. However, the girl in the painting has a refined feature and pure gaze. The artist diminished the cultural and time information and brought out the character from a pinkish background and enabling the painting to be pure and influential. The girl in “Chinese Girl” is suited in a masculine military uniform but she still reveals a feminine gentle and romantic feeling. Her green gaze is pure and attractive but also reveals a mystic and unpredictable feeling. Qi Zhilong used delicate warm contour and colors along with color blocks that are murky to bring out the unspoken details of the painting. The painting is full of Chinese traditions and the warmth of a teenage girl’s feelings which have become a balancing point between revolutionary history and modern contemporary culture. Qi Zhilong’s style is elegant and conservative. From an educated perspective, Qi objectively observed and translated the society he observed and tried to make up for the loss under the passing of time. Even though the beautiful gaze “Chinese Girl” is unspoken and silent, the viewers are able to understand the artist’s intention thoroughly.

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