Yun-Fei Ji's ink paintings at James Cohan Gallery depict rural Chinese poverty through ghostly allegories

Yun-Fei Ji's showcase titled 'Rumors, Ridicules, and Retributions' was held from April 28 to June 17, 2018, at the Grand Street venue of James Cohan Gallery in New York City's Chinatown. This marked Ji's fourth collaboration with the gallery and his inaugural exhibition at the new location. His ink and watercolor pieces on xuan paper portray spectral figures in destitute rural Chinese communities, drawing inspiration from the Southern Sung Dynasty. Notable works such as 'At Sundown' and 'At Midnight' (2017-2018) reflect the struggles of contemporary village life. Ji also explores themes of economic migration in 'Break Camp' and 'Family Bundles and Batches' (2017-2018), alongside earlier pieces like 'The Village and Its Ghosts' (2014) and 'They Come Out Together' (2017).