artist profile
Yue Minjun
born
1962
lives and works
Beijing, China
education
BA, Department of Fine Arts, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China, 1983
about the artist
Legions of Yue Minjun alter egos populate the artist’s compositions, their ironically vigorous laughter making a travesty out of all possible settings, whether sites of historical trauma, interiors of masterpieces culled from classical Western art history, or simply clustering in ludicrous configurations. A candid reaction to the sociological condition of contemporary China, his repeated mockery of homogeneity, excess, and idolization finds parallels in societies all over the world. Beneath Yue’s smile lies a hidden concession to the reality of a generation lost between apathy and helplessness. Yue’s work has been included in every canonical book as well as every notable collection featuring contemporary Chinese art. His paintings have always been highlights at every landmark exhibition contributing to the rise of China in the international art arena. Celebrated in numerous solo exhibitions, the artist has showed at venues such as the Asia Society and the Queens Museum in New York, USA; the Today Art Museum in Beijing, China; and the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum in Aarhus, Denmark. Many monographs about Yue and his work have been published in Chinese, widely distributing the sensibility of this preponderant of the Cynical Realist movement, which, in turn, has inspired a following among a new generation of young artists.