In 1990s, when Western paintings began to expand the artistic language of Chinese artists, Wu Yiming began a mission to reconcile the apparent differences between Chinese and Western painting. Known for his abstract paintings, his figures all lack facial expressions and often seem distorted or stretched. Yet, however contemporary Wu Yiming’s figures are, his technique is grounded in the ancient Chinese tradition of ink painting. With the use of rice paper and ink-wash technique, Wu merges the contemporary with the ancient, the new with the old.

Adorned with minimal color, the figure in Untitled (Hanfu) is infused with ambiguity, recalling a sense of alienation that characterizes Wu Yiming’s work. With splatters of ink Wu Yiming situates the figure in an undefined space, deliberately withholding any more contextual information that may allow the viewers to identify the subject matter. The work becomes a critique of the contemporary Chinese society and an acute judgment of the anonymity and psychological distance observed by Wu Yiming in this rapidly changing and modernizing community.