Yuan Yuan

Galerie Mitterrand, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner

France, Paris, Galerie Mitterrand, Steam Rooms, Yuan Yuan, 24 June - 30 July 2011

This work is in very good condition. There is evidence of scattered minor paint losses at the lower right corner and in an area 39 cm to the top and 15 cm to the left edges of the work. Under UV, there is 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."

Born in 1973 and trained in the prestigious China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, the subjects portrayed in Yuan Yuan’s works are always inspired by his own unique experience. His large-scale oil paintings focus on dramatic perspectives which all share a sense of abandonment and dereliction. Unlike his other works that usually depict interior settings, Blues IV, completed in 2010, is a rare example from the artist’s oeuvre of a landscape painting. The desolate forest is immersed in an atmosphere of fantasy in a fluidity of cold and blue colours that rush out of the painting towards us, exuding an air of melancholy and mystery while achieving an enduring resonance with the viewer. As an industrialised and developing country, China has undergone significant transformation in the past decades. Many forests and rivers have largely disappeared in favour of rapid economic development.  In Blues IV, by representing thoroughly vacant and forsaken woodland devoid of any human presence, Yuan aims to reflect his strong personal longing for what has been lost in today's highly consumerist society in China. Exhibited at Galerie Mitterrand, Paris, the artist’s first overseas solo show, in 2011, Blues IV is a representative work that offers an interaction with the viewer which is almost ethereal, yet reinforces the artist’s concern about and affection for his own homeland.