Liu Ye

Acquired directly from the artist
Private Collection, Switzerland

This work appears in very good condition overall. There is light wear around the edges. This work has not been examined under UV light. Unframed.
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Unlike many of his contemporaries, Liu Ye was shielded from the Chinese political climate of the late 1980's when art had to conform to the strict guidelines of the Socialist state. During the period of rage in China, which peaked in the Tiananmen Square Protests in 1989, Liu Ye spent several years studying in Germany and Holland developing his style and discovering new interests. He returned in 1995, when China was just starting to profit from a market economy. Liu Ye's individual style immediately drew attention and stood out from the "collective images" that had reined the art scene during the preceding years.

With its lush canvas, painted in primary colors, Miaow from 1999 is exemplary of the artist's work. Liu Ye depicts a child with the white wings of an angel standing on stage in front of a vibrant red curtain. His depictions have political signs that are caricatured and emotionalized with good intentions. Dressed in a school uniform, the child stands erect, like a soldier, with heels together and right arm close to body. In her left arm, where a soldier would hold a rifle, the child holds a white kitten. The helmet-like haircut adds to this militaristic presence, which is emphasized by the bright red color, symbolic of Communism. In this strict and formal presentation, it seems almost daring that the little girl sticks out her tongue to the viewer. This combination of discipline and cheekiness reflects and creates political and social awareness in a light-hearted manner.

However, what strikes the viewer are the continuous contrasts that become evident throughout the composition. Playful elements that Liu Ye employs such as dazzling colors and the mischievous young child with angel wings, oppose the static representation of the subject: horizontal lines border on vertical lines throughout the composition, without any apparent movement in the child's expression or posture. Having attended design school, the artist developed this sense of perfection and discovered the, "same emotion expressed in Mondrian's paintings – a kind of strictly controlled passion." (Exh. Cat., Beijing, Schoeni Art Gallery, Liu Ye: Red Yellow Blue, 2003, p. 18) It is the same artist to whom Liu Ye owes his use of solid reds, yellows, and black. Despite this control, Liu Ye's work doesn't lack humor or delight with its enchanting figure in a colorful background. As such, the artist states: "An imaginative childhood and the rational training of my student days have basically determined my way of thinking in later life... I like to delve into imagination with a rational mind." (Ibid., p. 20)