Zhijie, Qiu | Tattoo 3, 2000 — available on Composition Gallery

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colour coupler print

Qiu Zhijie's Tattoo 3 is a provocative digital print that explores themes of identity, censorship, and self-expression. The artwork features a young man with a red prohibition symbol painted around his neck and torso, creating an impactful visual that evokes restriction and societal control. The stark contrast of the red against the subject’s skin intensifies the feeling of confinement, suggesting a symbolic commentary on the limitations imposed by external forces on personal freedom. Created in 2000, this piece reflects Zhijie's exploration of Chinese contemporary society and the often complex relationship between individual identity and societal expectations. Limited to an edition of 10, Tattoo 3 is a powerful statement on autonomy and resistance.

Qiu Zhijie (China, 1969) is a conceptual artist and calligrapher known for his interdisciplinary works combining traditional Chinese art forms with contemporary themes. His Mapping series transforms historical and philosophical concepts into intricate cartographic art. Qiu’s practice bridges past and present, addressing identity, memory, and cultural continuity through performance, installation, and ink art.

Qiu Zhijie

Tattoo 3, 2000

Name: Tattoo 3, 2000
SKU: 1543

Form

Limited Edition Print

Limited Edition PrintA limited edition print is one of a number of prints made at the same time from one printmaking plate. A fixed number are made and signed by the artist, indicating the printing order, using the format 1/10, meaning first of ten prints.

Medium

printDigital print on paper refers to a digital image printed with archival-grade inks on high-quality, acid-free paper. This process ensures the print can last over twenty years if properly stored. The digital file allows for future prints to be made as needed.

Edition

Edition of 10pc

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colour coupler print

Qiu Zhijie

Tattoo 3, 2000

Limited Edition Print

Digital Print on paper

Currently Not Available

No sold works to show.

I plan to map the world.
- Qiu Zhijie

A contemporary Chinese artist practicing primarily through the mediums of photography and video, Qiu Zhijie’s work highlights the tension between the forces of destiny and free will, with other common themes including transience and social fragmentation.

One of his most popular works, Propagator in the Darkness, is heavily centred around the idea of transience and depicts a skeleton yelling through a megaphone from the inside of a bell – Qiu has commented on this piece and explained: “No one can see him or hear him...For me this is about sounds disappearing, about the past disappearing.” Zhijie’s work has also taken form through calligraphy-based practice; one of his most notable works saw him recreating a 4th-century Chinese calligraphic work around 4000 times on one piece of paper across the course of seven years.

Artwork by Eduardo Kac

What is New Media Art?

New Media Art is a genre that includes all artworks created using new technologies, such as computer graphics, digital art, virtual art, internet art, computer animation, video games, 3D printing, and robotics. This genre often explores themes related to mass media, telecommunications, and digital electronics. The methods for presenting New Media Art range from installations and performances to virtual and conceptual art

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Qiu Zhijie

Tattoo 3, 2000

100 x 79 cm

Language & Currency

Qiu Zhijie