Liu Wei came to prominence in the early 90s as one of the main proponents of the Cynical Realist style. This extraordinary self-portrait (Lot 5) is one of a rare series of ink-on-paper works Liu created between 1992-93, in which he playfully adopts the aesthetic trappings of the literati to portray a contemporary sense of displacement and unease. Rich in allusions both personal and historical, the image recalls a time around 1989 when the artist sequestered himself in his room and, as the inscriptions reads, attempted to divert himself by 'refined' pursuits. Yet he appears hapless and bewildered, locking eyes with an equally bewildered goldfish whose bowl seems too small for it.

The textural richness in the modeling of the figure and the expressionistic tone echo Liu's groundbreaking Cynical Realist works in oil of this same period, such as The New Generation, also painted in 1992. The lively calligraphic inscription and the 18 fantastical seals enhance the nuanced richness of the work.