The theme of this year's painting clearly states one - the makeup of desire. People's various desires are wrapped under various makeups. Desires are the intertwining of happiness and pain in life. Either straightforward or subtle, they will appear in makeup, forming a profound look of an era.
Inches: 15.7 x 15.7 in
Size without the frame: 40 x 40 cm
Country: China
Date: 2025
Materials: Oil paint on board
Condition: well preserved
Creative themes and style | My works revolve around the creative concept of "The land of humanity, and the people upon it" . The people in the painting are people in nature, and the lines, shapes, and colors are close to nature. The nature in the painting is nature in the eyes of humans, existing in interaction with humans.I don’t pursue a series of works with a fixed and continuous style. I hope that the style of the pictures will synchronize with the changes in my life and always remain oscillating. The performance of the work must be in sync with the development of one's own life in order to be Sincere and powerful.Ideas are later.
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Artwork Interpretation
Subject Matter: On the surface a seaside portrait, at its core a study of “the blurring of existence.” The figure standing by the shore serves as a mediator between individual presence and natural setting, reflecting the theme of veiled perception.
Form: Simplified and elongated body language creates typification. The curves of the figure are stretched, while facial details are erased, shifting from individuality to symbol. The character becomes a vessel for emotion and desire.
Composition: Vertical stability versus horizontal tension. The central upright figure anchors the scene, while the elevated horizon line and rolling waves introduce lateral dynamics. The focal point emerges where the red dress meets the shoreline.
Color: Strong contrasts of warm red and cool blue construct an emotional field. The red dress is the undeniable focal point, yet surrounding purples, grays, and pale blues blur her clarity, creating a paradox of both intrusion and integration.
Brushwork and Texture: Between Impressionism and Expressionism. Loose strokes on the sandy foreground convey texture; layered washes on the sea surface produce a mist-like atmosphere. The erased face, rendered through intentional smudging, resembles a “veil.”
Content and Thematic Expression: Identity abstracted into symbols of emotion and desire. Rather than telling a literal story, the painting uses form, color, and blurred boundaries to question the dynamics of seeing and being seen—pointing toward memory’s concealment and gaps in perception.
Mood and Tone: Isolated, restrained, yet charged with hidden tension. The viewer is drawn in by the red yet distanced by the facelessness, producing a psychological push-and-pull.
Unconventional Perspective: The “erasure of the face” as a narrative device rather than flaw. This strategy shifts attention from personal identity to the act of viewing itself—who is visible, who is concealed, and how the observer fills in the absence.
Similar Works Reference
Amedeo Modigliani — Portraits: Elongated figures and simplified faces resonate with the stretched form and emotional detachment in this piece.
Edvard Munch — The Scream, Girls on the Bridge: Emotion magnified through color and environment, comparable to this work’s atmospheric handling.
Alex Katz — Single-figure portraits: Flat color blocks and contour-based clarity, paralleling the formal simplification seen here.
Zeng Fanzhi — “Mask” series: Masked faces and the politics of identity echo the veiling strategy of this painting.
Liu Xiaodong — Realist group portraits: Authentic textures and a sense of social presence, offering a contemporary counterpoint in exploring human figures within environments.
Q1: Why is the figure in the red dress by the seaside depicted in such a unique way?
A1: The artist deliberately minimized facial features and fine details, using blurred brushstrokes to emphasize the body posture and the tension of color. The contrast between the red dress and the waves enhances the figure’s presence and creates a dialogue with the environment, directing the viewer’s attention to the emotional atmosphere rather than realism.
Q2: Why does the color transition in this painting create a dreamlike, blurry effect?
A2: The hues of the sea and the shoreline are not painted in a naturalistic way. Instead, layers of purple, pink, and blue gradients are blended together. This fusion of colors softens spatial boundaries, giving the work a flowing, dreamlike quality that heightens its poetic mood.
Q3: In terms of artistic style, what category does this seaside woman painting belong to? And what kind of collection setting is it suitable for?
A3: This piece aligns more closely with the spirit of Expressionist oil painting, where subjective colors and simplified forms intensify inner emotions. It is best suited for private spaces that emphasize emotional atmosphere, such as bedrooms, studies, or gallery corners, where it can create a serene yet romantically charged art environment.
Q4: What aspects contribute to the collectible value of this painting?
A4: The value lies first in its unique oil painting depiction of the feminine figure, combining lyrical expression with symbolic undertones. Secondly, the uncertainty and fluidity of its color treatment resonate well with modern interior design and contemporary art spaces, giving the work both aesthetic appeal and strong potential for art collection and display value.
Q5: Why did the artist create a color dialogue between the waves and the red dress?
A5: The highly saturated red of the dress contrasts with the violet-blue tones of the waves, while subtle transitions at the edges merge warmth and coolness, motion and stillness. This interplay avoids isolating single color blocks, resulting in a composition that feels cohesive, dynamic, and narratively rich.
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