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Yue Minjun is one of the most representational artists in contemporary Chinese art. His works are mainly known for a series of laughing bald-headed 'idols'. These idols are gorgeously colourful and grotesque, with some even bloody. Though it is a kind of shameless laugh, it contains the pleasure and humour of breaking taboos. Yue's artistic creation is an exaggerated narrative, indulged imagination and continuous experiment. It highlights the essentials of existence via absurdity.
It could be shown that Yue's objective is to offer the major visual image in the scene the most gigantic effect regarding form and content, with clear and fruitful symbolism and metaphors. Consequently, visual images get into a realistic layer that can be signified from an unrealistic layer so that Yue is able to express his deep concern about actual social livelihood. Thus, Yue is creating an 'idol' with features of Chinese history and zeitgeist rather than imitating his own consistent facial expression.
Yue Minjun, a leading figure in Chinese contemporary art and an internationally renowned artist, lives and works in Beijing.
Since the early 1990s, Yue Minjun has deliberately shaped an exaggerated 'self-image' on canvas. In recent years, this image has extended to his sculptures and prints. 'It' sometimes appears alone; sometimes it appears collectively. 'It' laughs with its mouth open, eyes closed; its movements are exaggerated, yet full of confidence.
In 2007, he was featured as a cover story by Time Magazine and was selected as one of 'Time Magazine's Persons of the Year', a list that included Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Yue Minjun was the only Chinese person and the only artist on the list. Time Magazine commented on Yue Minjun: "If you think China is central to the state and future of the world, then this is the artist who is painting it."
Furthermore, Yue Minjun's works are collected by important art institutions, galleries, and museums at home and abroad, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Denver Art Museum, Centre Pompidou, Busan Museum of Art, Guangdong Museum of Art, and Shenzhen Art Museum. Since participating in the 48th Venice Biennale in 1999, he has become a Chinese contemporary artist invited to the Venice Biennale, highlighting his significant artistic contribution. His distinctive artistic features have written an important chapter for Chinese contemporary art and culture on the world stage.
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