The title of the exhibition was decided and hand-written by the artist. As the artist passed away during the preparation of the exhibition in Beijing, the curator decided to add a small amount of the right-hand works and earlier left-hand works to the left-hand works as planned by the artist himself. The aim is to help viewers understand the overall artistic development and styles from different periods of Zhu Jianxin in a more complete retrospect. The exhibition also features video clips of interviews with the artist’s friends. Here we are able to get to learn about the characters of the Zhu not only as an artist but also as a person.
Zhu Jianxin, born 1953 in Nanjing, China, passed away February 2014 in Beijing. The exhibition is given unusual significance since it is the first exhibition after the life of the artist. A session of condolence is planned on the day of the opening ceremony. Zhu graduated from Nanjing Art Academy and his works of naked women with bound feet during the ’85 New Wave of Art Movement in China aroused much controversy. The unique style and erotic element of women with bound feet was regarded as in conflict with the ideological convention at that time and even condemned as “sheer feudalistic rubbish”. Art critic Li Xianting considers Zhu to be one of the representative figures of the Southern School of new painting of the neo-literati. The notion “hooligan culture” was thereby coined and it influenced the later on “cynical realism” in China.
Zhu Xinjian, Young Lady Like a Blossom Flower, 2013; Ink on paper, 68.5x136cm
Zhu Xinjian, Portrait of a Beauty, 2013; Ink on paper, 33x33cm
Zhu Xinjian, Why the beautiful dreams are easily to wake up, 2013; Ink on paper, 33x33cm
About the exhibition
Curator: Chen Yan
Co-curators: Gao Difei, Zhu Sha, Wang Mi
Opening time: 3:00pm, Apr.12, 2014
Duration: 2014.04.13 -- 2014.04.22
Location: 1/F, 2/F Exhibition Hall of Building 3
Courtesy of the artist and Today Art Museum, for further information please visit www.todayartmuseum.com.
