This painting was created in 2020, the year I just graduated from college and was in a period of transition. The subject matter and style of painting continued from my college days.
The reference pictures for the series "Urban scene in architecture" all come from selfies taken by several of my friends. My friends and I met in the early days of "urban construction," and when I painted them, they were all hastily building themselves along with the urbanization process. This is the era I live in and the path that our peers in the same situation must take.
Inches: x in
Size without the frame: x cm
Country: China
Date: 2023
Materials: Oil paint on linen
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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This work, Urban Scenes in Architecture, focuses on a female portrait. The figure’s posture is natural, and the action of resting the cheek on the hand conveys subtle emotions. The presentation of details like the hair strands and clothing endows the image with a sense of life. In terms of composition, the figure occupies the core of the picture. The compact layout strengthens the subject’s presence. The simple treatment of the background avoids interfering with the attention on the figure, forming a narrative of “conveying the context through the person”.
The color application leans towards a combination of realism and subjective tones. The gray - green background is soft and hazy. The dark color of the figure’s clothing forms layers with the colors of the skin and accessories. It not only restores reality but also conveys emotions through color blending. The painting style is close to a variant of realism. With delicate brushstrokes, it depicts the facial features of the figure and the texture of the hair strands. It doesn’t overly pursue photo - like realism but retains the painterliness, making the image vivid.
The emotional expression is implicit. The figure’s eyes and hand movements seem to tell the thoughts when alone. The vague “urban” hints in the background (such as the haziness beside the date and signature) connect the individual emotions with the urban context, adding implications. For similar artists, we can think of Lucian Freud’s later portrait creations or Liu Xiaodong’s realistic explorations. This painting has common ground in focusing on individual portraits and conveying inner emotions through realistic details. Using a seemingly daily portrait, it explores the hidden emotions of the figure. It allows viewers to touch the emotional pulse of the individual in urban life through brushstrokes and colors, being a delicate expression of “seeing the big from the small” in portrait painting.
A frontal gaze is one of the most powerful forms of visual communication, almost forcing the viewer into dialogue with the subject. This look carries both provocation and self-expression, transforming the figure from a passive model into an active narrator of her own story.
The woman’s gesture—pressing her fingers near her face in a pose that resembles either snapping a shutter or mimicking a gun—is deliberately ambiguous. It blurs the line between self-protection, playfulness, and aggression, reflecting the psychological complexity of urban life.
The blurred green background heightens the figure’s presence, while also creating a sense of estrangement. Here, green does not symbolize natural freshness, but instead conveys detachment and coolness, reinforcing themes of urban isolation and emotional distance.
While Stumbling Block emphasizes private space and inner struggles, this painting thrusts the figure outward, confronting the viewer with the pressure of the gaze. The former leans toward introspection, while the latter embodies confrontation and dialogue. Together, they explore how individuals navigate the tension between self and others within the urban environment.
The word “architecture” suggests something man-made, rigid, and structured, while “urban scene” conveys the lived relationship between people and space. Although no literal buildings are depicted, the figure’s stern pose expresses the presence of an invisible “psychological architecture”—a structured, intangible force that defines modern city life.
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