Liu Wei

signed in Chinese and Pinyin and dated 1999; signed in Chinese and Pinyin, titled in Chinese and English, and dated 1999 on the reverse

Jack Tilton Gallery, New York
Private Collection, USA

This work is generally in good condition. There is occasional paint loss with the longest measuring 0.1cm, which is consistent with the age of the medium. Having examined the work under ultraviolet light, there appears to be no evidence of restoration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

For Liu, every brushstroke contributes to a state of spiritual and material decomposition. Liu's staple images - dogs, children, flowers, and businessmen - speak to a bucolic, bourgeois lifestyle, one that is ironically undermined by the artist's technique. Existence itself is festering, grotesque, and full of glutinous, unseemly urges. He often scribbles plaintive expressions in English across the surface of his paintings that are almost Freudian in their simple desires: "I like you", "I like smoking" or “Who am I?”. Liu in effect embraces his own loss of idealism by bringing to the surface the repressed realities that lie immediately beneath the skin of bodily experience.