YU YOUHAN | The Lowly are the Most Intelligent, the Elite are the Most Ignorant

signed in Chinese and dated 95, framed

Private Collection (acquired directly from the artist by the present owner)
Christie's, Hong Kong, 28 May 2016, lot 66
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale

Scotland, Edinburgh, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Reckoning with the Past: Contemporary Chinese Painting, 3 August - 28 September 1996 (toured to Lisbon, Portugal and 9 different venues in New Zealand until 1999), p. 1
UK, London, Saatchi Gallery, Post Pop: East Meets West, 26 November 2014 - 3 March 2015, p. 296

This work is in very good condition overall. Pinpoint paint loss is observed along the right edge, approximately 55 cm up from the bottom right corner. Evidence of minor accretions, scarcely scattered over the surface of the canvas. No evidence of restoration is observed when examined under ultraviolet light. Unframed.
"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 Shanghai in 1943, Yu Youhan was a leading practitioner of Political Pop, a principal avant-garde movement that emerged in the post-1989 era. Inspired by propaganda posters from the Cultural Revolution, Yu appropriated Mao's image, political slogans and elements from traditional Chinese folk art to reflect the changing economic, political and cultural situation since the introduction of consumerism to China. Yu's works are almost anti-mythical, transforming the endlessly-repeated image of Chairman Mao from godlike icon into ordinary person – or simply décor.

Critic Edward Lucie-Smith states: "[O]ne of the fascinating aspects of successful works of art is often their ambiguity, a quality that Yu Youhan's work possesses in full measure. Despite their bright colours and use of popular motifs, these are not paintings that yield their full meaning immediately. What they do is to invite us to meditate on two things: one is China's recent history; the other is her relationship with the West. Yu Youhan was one of the first 'western style' painters in China to find an artistic language which was unmistakably his own."