Yang Jiechang
35 3/8 x 29 1/2 in
This work explores a recurrent theme in Yang
Jiechang's practice, radically reimagining the European paradise subject
through both classical Chinese painting technique and transgressive content
transformation. Gnarled tree branches in silvery greys and blacks create an
interconnected canopy sheltering cross-species sexual encounters among tigers,
deer, primates and other animals. At the composition's centre, a human figure engages
with a horse, emphasizing the work's dissolution of boundaries between species.
Using the traditional meticulous colour technique with mineral pigments in
earthy browns, rust tones, and greens, Yang depicts a non-hierarchical paradise
where different species interact without violence or coercion. The dense,
layered forms serve as his allegory for globalization and the intermingling of
diverse identities in contemporary society.