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: 23.6 x 23.6 in
Size without the frame: 60 x 60 cm
Country: China
Date: 2024
Materials: Acrylic paint on Wood Panel
Condition: well preserved
Creative themes and style | My works revolve around the creative concept of "The land of humanity, People on the land".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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1. Composition and Form
This painting employs a concise yet highly expressive visual language to construct a distinctive portrait. The figure is defined by fluid, continuous lines, emphasizing the elongated neck and simplified shoulders. This deliberate refinement of form highlights the aesthetic value of shape reduction, allowing the viewer to focus on the essential qualities of the figure rather than realistic detail.
2. Color and Atmosphere
The use of a soft gradient of pinks and blues creates a hazy, dreamlike environment, as though the subject is veiled in a translucent layer of fabric. The blending of these pastel tones generates a tranquil, almost meditative atmosphere. Importantly, the background hues merge with the figure itself, reinforcing the sense of unity between subject and environment.
3. Deformation and Expressiveness
Through artistic deformation, the painter elongates the neck and reduces facial features to their most essential lines, breaking away from the strict framework of realism. This abstraction grants the work a surreal intensity, channeling the viewer’s attention toward the figure’s inner world. The minimal yet deliberate depiction of the eyebrows, eyes, and lips conveys a restrained emotional state—calm, contemplative, and subtly melancholic.
4. Symbolic Meaning
The portrait functions as a spiritual symbol, where simplification and abstraction serve as a language of introspection. Rather than portraying external likeness, the work engages in a visual dialogue with the viewer, presenting the inner landscape of human emotion. The fusion of linear rhythm and soft chromatic blending demonstrates how form and emotion can coexist harmoniously in modern painting.
5. Stylistic Context
This piece resonates with the experimental spirit of modernism, particularly its pursuit of formal innovation and emotional condensation. The restrained palette, streamlined contours, and rejection of excessive detail embody a new aesthetic experience—one where art transcends conventional realism and instead opens a space for reflection on human nature and inner sensibility.
Lin Fengmian, Lady
Defined by smooth, simple lines and a misty palette, this work shares with the current painting a reliance on hazy colors and minimal contouring to evoke emotion. Lin’s integration of Eastern aesthetics results in a quiet, implicit atmosphere that parallels the subtle inward expression in the painting above.
Sanyu, The Lonely Elephant
Using soft color harmonies and simplified outlines, Sanyu refines form to its essentials. Much like the current work, his painting avoids intricate details and instead conveys solitude and poetic sensitivity through artistically reduced forms.
Amedeo Modigliani, Portrait of Mrs. Mornico
Modigliani’s signature use of elongated lines and gentle deformation echoes strongly here. Both works use soft, muted tones to construct figures that exude elegance tinged with melancholy, situating them within the broader modernist reinterpretation of portraiture.
Henri Matisse, Reclining Nude
With its bold yet fluid lines and assertive color contrasts, Matisse’s piece diverges in palette but aligns in spirit. Both works emphasize subjective expression through simplification, rejecting strict realism to affirm the power of personal artistic language.
This painting achieves a delicate balance between formal reduction and emotional resonance, situating itself within the lineage of modernist explorations of portraiture. Through its refined lines, pastel atmospherics, and expressive deformation, it offers a quiet but powerful meditation on the inner self.
By dramatically stretching the figure’s neck, the artist breaks away from realistic proportions to create a sense of surreal elegance and emotional distance. The elongated neck not only becomes a visual focal point but also symbolizes an inner tension—suppressed emotions contrasted with an outward poise.
The teal face and magenta hair form a bold cold–warm complementary contrast, making the figure’s expression appear both aloof and composed. This non-realist color treatment amplifies the emotional impact of the work, leaving viewers with a subtle feeling of detachment and resistance.
The composition is strikingly simple: a cool gradient background paired with smooth yet expressive lines that define the figure. This makes the painting a strong example of a contemporary minimalist abstract portrait, perfectly suited for modern interiors and art spaces where it contributes to a calm, high-end atmosphere.
The rare combination of a cool-toned figure with a minimalist blank background makes this work stand out in the online art market. It transcends traditional realistic portraiture while preserving recognizable human traits, giving it high potential in the category of contemporary abstract figurative wall art. Such a piece is especially desirable for luxury homes or art-inspired apartments.
The figure’s slightly furrowed brows and composed expression, set against a violet-blue gradient background, convey a distinct aura of solitude. This emotive quality makes the painting ideal as a personal art collectible or as a thoughtful gift for collectors and art lovers with a reflective or introspective character.
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More paintings from this series：
The makeup of desire 1 The makeup of desire 2 The makeup of desire 3 The makeup of desire 5
The makeup of desire 6 The makeup of desire 7 The makeup of desire 8 The makeup of desire 9
The makeup of desire 11 The makeup of desire 12 The makeup of desire 13 The makeup of desire 14
The makeup of desire 15 The makeup of desire 16
