Chinese Babe
Li Shuguang
李曙光
Production date
2005
Object Detail
Media
oil on canvas
Measurements
119 x 150 cm
Notes
When Li Shuguang painted this work in 2005, Chinese contemporary art was just beginning to make its mark in the international art world of biennales, triennials, art fairs and major curated exhibitions. He intended this awkward, androgynous child standing as if frozen under theatrical spotlights, exposed to the view of an unseen audience, to represent the pressure on Chinese artists to prove they were truly ‘contemporary’. His protagonist wears full Beijing Opera make-up and an elaborate traditional hairstyle, yet a distinctly non-traditional leopard print wrap is slipping down over his/her naked chest. The background is an ambiguous and artificial space, like a stage. Spermatozoa-like shapes intended to represent both flares of light, and the essentialist genetic identitycarried in the DNA of every individual, emphasise the startlingly white skin of the child. Li explains that this image represents how Chinese artists felt they had to adopt a kind of self-conscious Chineseness to appeal to western audiences, while at the same time showing their knowledge of international contemporary art. He compares the experiences of his generation with the confidence of young Chinese artists today, who have no doubts at all that they belong on the global stage.
Accession number
2006.033