Duan Jianyu's 'Yúqiáo' Exhibition Reimagines Chinese Hermits as Animals in London Show
Duan Jianyu's first solo exhibition in the UK in over ten years, titled 'Yúqiáo,' is being held at YDP in London from October 14 to December 20. The show reimagines the traditional Chinese theme of the fisherman and woodcutter through anthropomorphic animals in diverse environments. Duan employs a style known as huai hua ('bad painting'), characterized by its rough imagery and unexpected elements. Featured pieces include 'Yúqiáo (The Fisherman and The Woodcutter) No.4' (2023) and 'No.5' (2023). The exhibition showcases scenes such as a ram and lamb sharing life lessons, chickens wearing Crocs slippers, and a flock of sheep beneath a dystopian sky. It critiques conventional wisdom while highlighting everyday experiences and is in collaboration with Vitamin Creative Space in Guangzhou.
Key facts
- Duan Jianyu's exhibition 'Yúqiáo' is her first UK solo show in over a decade
- The exhibition runs from October 14 to December 20 at YDP in London
- It reimagines the classical Chinese fisherman and woodcutter motif as anthropomorphic animals
- Duan uses the huai hua ('bad painting') style that emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s
- Works include 'Yúqiáo (The Fisherman and The Woodcutter) No.4' (2023) and 'No.5' (2023)
- The show features scenes with sheep, chickens, cows, and other animals in contemporary settings
- Duan critiques traditional systems of wisdom and hierarchy through her paintings
- The exhibition is presented with Vitamin Creative Space in Guangzhou
Entities
Artists
- Duan Jianyu
- Michele Chan
Institutions
- YDP
- Vitamin Creative Space
- ArtAsiaPacific
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Guangzhou
- China