“We Could Be Heroes II”

Paintings by

Shen Jingdong

13th – 21st August 2010

THE ROTUNDA, EXCHANGE SQUARE, HONG KONG

(Open daily 9am – 7pm)

Yan Gallery is pleased to announce its next exhibition entitled “We Could Be Heroes II”, featuring a collection of oil paintings by Beijing-based artist Shen Jingdong. We are very pleased to be holding this exhibition at the Rotunda in Exchange Square. This will be Shen’s second solo show in Hong Kong following his first sell-out exhibition in 2007.

Since 2007 Shen Jingdong has become hugely successful, not only in China, but also in Europe, and the U.S., exhibiting at numerous national and international art fairs. In China, he has become the favorite of many entertainment celebrities, including Zhang Ziyi, who has a collection of his works. Not only has Shen been busy painting, but he has also collaborated with the Hong Kong based company Today is Cool, which has used his highly distinctive art and incorporated it into their fashion designs. His works have also seen a steady incline in price at the auction houses.

The original idea for this series of paintings came about slowly. In the 1990s Shen Jingdong was in the PLA’s Nanjing Military Drama Troupe. While performing a modern drama set in the 1950’s Shen was made to wear a soldier’s uniform. He took a photograph of himself wearing this uniform and later entered the enlarged photograph into an exhibition. Some time later Shen Jingdong started making sculptures using the same image as inspiration, first in fibreglass and then in porcelain. He took photographs of these porcelain busts and liked the effect his work had on paper. Finally he started painting these works in oils to create the now iconic image of the shiny-faced, cartoon-like soldier, who’s expressionless, yet slightly comical face stares out from the canvas, conveying both a sense of heroism and humility.

In our first solo exhibition of Shen’s works in 2007, the collection focused mainly on individual portraits. Shen played with the themes of equality and identity in his paintings – the image of a lowly soldier was transformed into a hero, thereby poking fun at the idea that a hero or idol could also be just an ordinary person. The image of Mao as icon, blends with the image of Lei Feng (a model soldier from the Mao era), and also the image of the artist himself. In his way Shen Jingdong is paying tribute to China’s past, but also looking firmly ahead to China’s future. With a nod to the past, Shen’s characters positively gleam with shiny newness. What will the future bring for China and its insatiable desire for economic progress?

In the current exhibition, Shen’s works have become much more animated. Keeping his signature style, the soldier in his paintings is seen in action; swimming laps, flexing his muscles at the gym or playing an instrument. The soldier as hero has stepped down from his pedestal and become one of us. Seeing the soldier participating in everyday leisure activities softens his heroic status, thereby continuing Shen’s theme of the complex definition of human identity.

Shen Jingdong was born in Nanjing in 1965 and is a graduate of the Nanjing Institute of Arts. He has held numerous exhibitions in China, the U.S. and Europe exhibiting photographic works, sculpture and oil paintings and also creating installation and performance works of art.

The artist will attend the opening and we are pleased to announce that a catalogue will also be available. Please contact the gallery for further information about the artist or view the exhibition nearer the time online at www.yangallery.com.