Han Yajuan: Indulgence and Transcendence

Klein Sun Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new painting and sculpture by Han Yajuan.

Han Yajuan’s artwork aims to embody the power of contemporary Chinese youth culture which is expressed in her juxtapositions of Japanese animation and consumerist glamour. From these two elements, Han Yajuan has generated an arsenal of female characters rendered in the super-cute kawaii style of Japanese anime. Their infantile anatomies contrast with a grown-up affinity for luxury objects and revealing clothing, perfectly illustrating the growing allure of material wealth that has influenced the country.

In her new body of work, the artist’s signature females no longer inhabit modest, gift-sized canvases, but are now the ironic heroines of mural-sized paintings. The figures of Fashion Ensemble and Art Flair have achieved a level of similarity perhaps symbolic of the artist’s views of the rote, hollow existence encouraged by material excess. Objects of wealth, from snorkel gear to spacesuits, reiterate the mantra of consumerism resounding in contemporary China, while also creating a certain ambiguity. As such, the work of Han Yajuan can be read as either an objective exploration or a subtle critique of an ever up-and-coming nation.