Press Release
View·Jail
Human society is based upon a pattern, upon coexistence between different patterns. Individual growth cannot get rid of the fate defined by these stereotypes.
Han Jianyu once in his portrait works named Comrade obsessed about relationships between different political leaders. His quest for the righteousness holds by Laden and Bush. The political leaders’ mask only serves to highlight the indiscriminating competition within human beings. In Unidentified Color Gamut, Han Jianyu fills within world maps diverse colors to differentiate political systems.
From religious paintings of the middle age to model dramas of the culture revolution, the mark of having broken the former tradition is the birth of another universally-recognized pattern. Art revolution is ultimately about art patterns, through which the description and knowledge of the world is changed.
Han jianyu,”Lugou Bridge Incident，” Oil,Acrylic on Canvas, 250X200cm, 2011
韩建宇，《卢沟桥事变》，布面油画，丙烯，250X200cm，2011
The distinction about post modern time lies in its diversity. The world has changed from primitive jungle to a highly systemized and complicated landscape. What we obtain as we look back into the past is a blurred history in which two cultures violently communicated and hybridized. Human intervened into non-human world and formed a new view. Instead of obeying natural rules, this view organizes roads and trees to develop according to temporary social contracts and operation of different patterns.
Works exhibited this time in Powers in the Jungle have displayed the artist’s addict toward the relationship between individual political action and publicity, which explains both the quest and pursue for absolute freedom and reality beard by post 80’s. There’s giant mouth of different patterns hiding somewhere and waiting to devour humankinds alive. Behind those teeth, our simple wishes are so pale and powerless. And it’s only when we behind those teeth until we found that we were in jail built by ourselves.
Han Jianyu, “Monk,” Oil,Acrylic on Canvas, 200X250cm, 2012
韩建宇，《法海》，布面油画，丙烯，200X250cm，2012
