View from Horseback II

In his View from Horseback, Wei Jia depicts a monumental yet mysterious figure, half human and half rearing steed. Bright spots of colour sprinkled across the canvas and dramatic chiaroscuro produce a disorienting quality that confuses time and space. The figure is painted against a blank background, and due to the absence of realistic points of reference, appears to exist in an illusory environment composed of pure light and colour, leaving space for the viewer to exercise their own imaginations. The lower portion of the centaur-like figure is rendered in a distinctly sculptural manner, with tense and dynamic limbs reminiscent of Greek statuary and relief. In contrast, the upper human half is depicted with his arms crossed in front of his chest, exuding a feeling of solemnity, peace and self-protection. By bringing together all of these contrasting elements – light and dark, color and monochrome, human and animal, the valiant and the protective – Wei Jia creates a juxtaposition that explores the psychology of internal confusion and anxiety. Just as many of us wander between periods of darkness and light, the artist here has rendered a work filled with quiet ambivalence, exuding both charm and mystery.