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: 2025
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
The work centers on the profile of a woman, her face quietly positioned on the right side of the canvas, while the left side expands into a vortex of colors. This layout creates a contrast between “stillness” and “movement”: the calm presence of the figure versus the surging background. This tension guides the viewer’s gaze to oscillate between the figure and the surrounding space.
2. Lines
The contours of the face and neck are drawn with smooth, elastic lines that convey rhythm and tension. These lines not only define the form but also transmit inner emotions, giving the figure a sense of spiritual presence.
3. Color
The face is rendered with layered pinks and flushed reds, where thick impasto and thin washes intermingle to suggest warmth and breath in the skin. The background, composed of blacks, grays, and blues in a swirling flow, makes use of acrylic’s qualities of layering and diffusion to convey emotional turbulence. The contrast of warm and cool tones reinforces the difference between the subject’s calm concentration and the background’s dynamic mood.
4. Light and Space
The face and neck achieve realism through soft transitions and highlights, while the background dissolves into a rotating diffusion, hovering between abstraction and figuration. The interplay of light and color creates an uncertain space—at once resembling an undercurrent of reality and an image of the inner world—blurring the boundaries between reality and dream.
5. Mood and Atmosphere
The closed eyes become the emotional core of the painting. The subject refuses direct engagement with the outside world, turning inward toward quiet contemplation and a private spiritual monologue. The swirling background seems to visualize the flow of thought and the vibrations of the soul. The overall effect is a mysterious and dreamlike atmosphere, “movement within stillness, stillness within movement.”
6. Medium and Expression
Acrylic on wood panel demonstrates its full potential: on the face, it produces a gentle, tactile surface; in the background, it creates depth and a sense of fluidity. Through variations of thickness, transparency, light, and layering, the medium brings out both solidity and dynamism, enriching the work with multiple layers of expression.
7. Concept and Meaning
By abstracting the figure and surrounding it with a vortex of color, the artist liberates the subject from the confines of reality and situates her in a hazy yet energetic mental space. This is not only an exploration of the “inner self” but also a reflection on humanity, emotion, and the limits of art. Here, acrylic is more than a medium—it becomes a philosophical language, revealing new possibilities in contemporary portraiture.
Pan Yuliang, Self-Portrait
Similarity: Uses fluid lines and layered colors to shape the figure with intense emotional resonance and a hazy atmosphere. Like this work, it downplays realism and emphasizes self-expression and emotional depth.
Lin Fengmian, Lady Series
Similarity: Employs concise lines and harmonized colors to create a poetic, dreamlike mood. Both works rely on line and color as their primary language, breaking free from realism and channeling restrained Eastern sentiment.
Odilon Redon, Closed-Eyes Woman
Similarity: Soft lines and mysterious colors highlight the spiritual realm, with the closed-eye pose symbolizing inner emotion. Like this work, it diminishes outward resemblance and instead constructs an atmospheric, surreal space.
Egon Schiele, Portrait of a Woman
Similarity: Tense, expressive lines and subjective use of color to capture individuality and emotion. Resonating with this painting, Schiele’s treatment turns line into an emotional vessel, modernizing and deconstructing the tradition of portraiture.
This work presents a spiritual portrait through the interplay of “stillness and movement, reality and psyche.” It embodies the introspective subtlety of Eastern sensibility while also harnessing the expressive power of modern materials. Through this, it expands the depth of emotion and pushes the boundaries of contemporary portraiture.
She once lived for many years in a quiet seaside town. Every evening, she would walk along the damp seawall, lifting her gaze toward the restless sky. On rainy days especially, when fine drops brushed her cheeks and tangled in her hair, she never hurried for cover. Instead, she would close her eyes and let the cool water run down her neck.
Those who knew her often caught the same scene: she stood quietly, a faint smile playing on her lips, as if listening to the whispers woven by wind and rain. Passersby, far from puzzled, simply walked on without disturbing her. What they didn’t know was that she had grown accustomed to hearing the rhythm of her own breath within the rainfall. It was how she reminded herself she was still moving through life.
Time hadn’t left her with grand stories, but with a peace that slowly settled deep within. She once said: “No one can resist the darkness forever. But in the storm, you can lift your head, breathe with the sky and earth, and feel whole again.”
For her, that fleeting moment was already true freedom.
The artist applies layers of pink and red shading to highlight the softness and vitality of the face. Combined with the closed-eye expression, this creates an artistic tension between inner calm and the external storm.
The intertwining black-gray and blue-green swirling strokes symbolize the turbulence of the outside world in dialogue with inner strength. This contrast invites the viewer to reflect on the relationship between meditation and external conflict.
The piece features a female profile as the focal point, paired with an abstract swirling background, blending figurative and abstract styles. The gentle figure against the dynamic backdrop gives it a distinctly modern aesthetic, making it an excellent choice for home décor or as a centerpiece in a contemporary art space.
With its rich layers of color and the qualities of an art therapy–inspired watercolor-style oil painting, this work holds both collectible value and strong appeal to today’s market demand for emotionally expressive art. It is particularly suited for buyers interested in healing and emotion-driven artworks.
The closed eyes and slightly tilted posture of the figure suggest meditation, prayer, or self-reflection, while the flowing brushstrokes in the background hint at the circulation of life energy. With its strong symbolism and storytelling quality, this work stands as a representative piece in the field of emotional expression–themed art collections.
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More paintings from this series：
The makeup of desire 1 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 The makeup of desire 17
