Series 1, No. 5

Considered a leader among Beijing's post-1989 'Cynical Realist' painters, Fang Lijun quickly made a splash on the international scene, appearing at the Venice Biennale in 1993 and 1999. 'Cynical Realist' is an appellation attributed to a group of Chinese painters whose works responded to the widespread feelings of helplessness and ennui in 1990s China. This younger generation of painters is not burdened by history or the Cultural Revolution. Rather, they are adept and insightful observers of the social environment as it changes around them. Fang, in particular, has stated that he is drawn to "the absurd, the mundane and the meaningless events of everyday life".

Fang's early works are characterized by bald headed, slouching hooligans who smile mysteriously, or are caught somewhere between a yawn and a scream. In China, a shaved-head signals the annihilation of individuality imposed on soldiers, prisoners and monks. In Fang's work, the shaved head is willfully adopted, signaling the pervasive feelings of nihilism and malaise that were characteristic of the time. Fang paints these figures before monochromatic grey skies or seascapes, further emphasizing the extent of their alienation in a society in massive transition.