Mao Yan

The exhibition presents the latest works within the artist's most well-known portrait series, Thomas. Since 1998, Mao Yan has been using Thomas, originally an international student from Europe, as a model. The portraits of Thomas have been depicted, deepened and dismantled repeatedly throughout the past two decades until the subject is transformed into an ambiguous, vague and nearly imaginary face. Instead of sketching the model on the scene, Mao Yan's paintings are often based on photographs he personally took. The habit reveals the essence of the artist's creation. To him, painting is a private process. Being extremely patient in composing a visual representation of concrete objects, the artist initiates an inner self-conversation. Only through his sincere concern over not only his own spiritual world but also the destiny of all human beings can he impel the earnest power of art itself by this frustrating and self-doubting process of painting.To quote the Chinese poet, Han Dong, “he does not seek for agreement in the existing dimension, nor seek for any supportive answer from the illusion of future. He is more like a traveler, who turns and wanders around, as if his destination is fallen deep inside the history of paintings.”