Red Memories – No big deal No.1, 2012
bronze, vehicle duco
edition of 999
37x6x16 cm
Chen Wenling (b.1969, Fujian, China) lives and works in Beijing.
Wenling achieved international fame with his characteristic ‘Red Memory’ series of sculptures featuring laughing, naked male figures covered in shiny, bright red vehicle duco.
This series, started in 1999, was inspired by nostalgia for his boyhood in Fujian; the figures are intended to prompt memories of childhood innocence in the viewer, while the brilliant red colour signifies China in the ‘red times’ of his Cultural Revolution childhood.
The recurring characters in Chen Wenling ’s work are emaciated young boys, pig-like humanoids, and obese demons, all of which the artist deploys to create his biting social satire.
In 1999, Wenling won the prestigious Golden Lion Prize at the Venice Biennale in Italy.
His work is held in prestigious collections such as the National Art Museum of China; Houston Museum of Fine Arts, USA; Denver Art Museum, USA; White Rabbit Collection, Australia; ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Denmark; National Gallery of Korea, Korea; Seoul Museum of Art, Korea.
Chen Wenling full bio: https://vermilionart.com.au/artist/chen-wenling/
