Lot 719: GONG LILONG

GONG LILONG B.1953 DANCING signed in Chinese and dated 2002.8 (lower left) Executed in 2002 oil on canvas 160 by 160 cm.; 63 by 63 in.

Private Asian Collection

In his early years at the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, Gong Lilong developed a strong foundation in Realist painting techniques. In the 1980s he won a Young Artist award, formally establishing his artistic talent. However, creatively, Gong wanted to find a new means of expression, away from the traditional path. He began to look at the common farmer, rural life and natural landscapes as his subject matters. He did not depict the hardships of their lives but rather, he chose a humorous style to portray the rounded and full bodies of his characters, exaggerating the happiness of a moment in their lives and adding a surrealist feeling to his compositions. In 2000, he began to paint metropolitan figures; through his brush the viewer can observe the rapid transformations of Chinese society and the distinctive personalities that Gong Lilong has encountered.