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Lot Essay
Chen Yujun was born in 1976 in the city of Putian, Fujian province. He graduated from The School of Intermedia Arts at the China Academy of Art in 2007. Currently living Shanghai, the artist is adept at painting, collage, installation, and mixed media, which he employs diversely in his artistic output.
Since 2008, Chen Yujun has begun to investigate into the issue of the identity of Asia in the era of globalisation through his art. The Asian Territory series was conceived from this inquiry. Asian Territories - Six Meter Square No. 20101201 is one of these insightful works that is being offered in this auction. The artist painted on a canvas that is measured six meter square and titled it with the specific time and date. These signifying elements construct a virtual space with measurements that are actual. The sofa and the three walls define the openness of the space. Numerous vertical stripes of colours were arranged in an extremely orderly and rhythmic fashion. Stringently with a zeal that is almost obsessive, the artist rendered the space with geometric shapes. It conveys a strong sense of tedium, constrain, and coercion. On the upper right corner of picture hangs a painting - the artist seems to be using the painting installation as a visual device to balance the composition. At the same time, it also seems to serve the purpose of breaking the insufferably oppressive rhythm of the space. The installation format of the painting and the empty armchair denote authority - it suggests a qualitative difference. Globalisation is a reality. As the geographical differences being are flattened, minority cultures are being further marginalised. As evident in the Asian territory in which we are situated, it is silently being invaded by the dominant cultural juggernaut. Artists follow the spiritual path of society - culture - art and alert us of the crisis of cultural imperialism.
Since 2008, Chen Yujun has begun to investigate into the issue of the identity of Asia in the era of globalisation through his art. The Asian Territory series was conceived from this inquiry. Asian Territories - Six Meter Square No. 20101201 is one of these insightful works that is being offered in this auction. The artist painted on a canvas that is measured six meter square and titled it with the specific time and date. These signifying elements construct a virtual space with measurements that are actual. The sofa and the three walls define the openness of the space. Numerous vertical stripes of colours were arranged in an extremely orderly and rhythmic fashion. Stringently with a zeal that is almost obsessive, the artist rendered the space with geometric shapes. It conveys a strong sense of tedium, constrain, and coercion. On the upper right corner of picture hangs a painting - the artist seems to be using the painting installation as a visual device to balance the composition. At the same time, it also seems to serve the purpose of breaking the insufferably oppressive rhythm of the space. The installation format of the painting and the empty armchair denote authority - it suggests a qualitative difference. Globalisation is a reality. As the geographical differences being are flattened, minority cultures are being further marginalised. As evident in the Asian territory in which we are situated, it is silently being invaded by the dominant cultural juggernaut. Artists follow the spiritual path of society - culture - art and alert us of the crisis of cultural imperialism.