Screenprint on wove paper
- Hand signed and numbered in pencil
Yue Minjun's The Three Musketeers (2019-2022) is a vibrant screenprint that showcases his signature style of using self-portraiture and satirical expression. The composition features three figures in front of a turquoise background: a laughing man in a Batman mask (a recurring motif in Minjun's work), a serene Buddha statue, and a cartoon-like character wearing a hat resembling a police cap. The juxtaposition of these elements blends humor with cultural and philosophical symbolism, creating a surreal and playful narrative. The laughing figure's exaggerated grin is emblematic of Minjun's exploration of human emotion and societal critique. The bright, flat colors and bold lines give the print a graphic, almost pop-art aesthetic. The piece, hand-signed and numbered by the artist, is a captivating example of his commentary on identity and modernity.
Yue Minjun (China, 1962) is a renowned contemporary artist celebrated for his satirical self-portraits featuring exaggerated laughter. His works, rooted in Cynical Realism, critique societal norms and political issues with humor and irony. Using bold colors and repetitive imagery, Yue’s paintings are iconic representations of post-Tiananmen Chinese art.
Screen-print Screen printing is a technique where ink is transferred through a mesh onto a substrate, with areas blocked by a stencil to prevent ink from passing through. This method, also known as serigraphy or silkscreen printing, is commonly used to produce prints on posters, T-shirts, vinyl, stickers, wood, and other materials. The process is a type of stencil printing, allowing for vibrant, detailed designs on various surfaces.
Screenprint on wove paper
- Hand signed and numbered in pencil
Yue Minjun's The Three Musketeers (2019-2022) is a vibrant screenprint that showcases his signature style of using self-portraiture and satirical expression. The composition features three figures in front of a turquoise background: a laughing man in a Batman mask (a recurring motif in Minjun's work), a serene Buddha statue, and a cartoon-like character wearing a hat resembling a police cap. The juxtaposition of these elements blends humor with cultural and philosophical symbolism, creating a surreal and playful narrative. The laughing figure's exaggerated grin is emblematic of Minjun's exploration of human emotion and societal critique. The bright, flat colors and bold lines give the print a graphic, almost pop-art aesthetic. The piece, hand-signed and numbered by the artist, is a captivating example of his commentary on identity and modernity.
Yue Minjun (China, 1962) is a renowned contemporary artist celebrated for his satirical self-portraits featuring exaggerated laughter. His works, rooted in Cynical Realism, critique societal norms and political issues with humor and irony. Using bold colors and repetitive imagery, Yue’s paintings are iconic representations of post-Tiananmen Chinese art.
I’m actually trying to make sense of the world.
- Yue Minjun
Yue Minjun is a contemporary Chinese artist who works in Beijing. He is most widely known for his oil paintings that show himself laughing in a variety of different settings. He has also copied this image in watercolor, prints and sculpture. Critics have labeled him a part of the "Cynical Realism" movement in China, although he has distanced himself from that group personally. Yue Minjun takes his inspiration from the work of Geng Jianyi, who had used his own laughing visage as a central focus in his work. Yue studied painting from 1985 to 1989 at Hebei Normal University. Yue Minjun’s work has appeared in many galleries in Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. His work Executiondrew the highest price of any Chinese contemporary artwork ever when it went for US$5.9 million at Sotheby's in London. By 2007, 13 of his paintings had sold for more than US$1 million. His "Hat" series remains one of his most widely admired.
Chinese Contemporary Art is marked by a wide range of styles and experimental approaches. In the 1980s, avant-garde exhibitions were often shut down by government officials. The 1990s saw the rise of political pop and cynical realism, while China's One-Child Policy influenced artists to explore the individual as a subject matter.