Artist Profiles

Fang Lijun

Fang Lijun was born in 1963 in Handan, Hebei Province in China. His childhood was marked by conflict and isolation, owing to the fact that his relatives were labeled "rich peasants" during the Cultural Revolution. In order to protect Fang, his father kept him at home with painting lessons, his first introduction to art. The young artist eventually attended school and managed to succeed, despite the social setbacks he faced. When the Cultural Revolution ended in 1977, he joined a fine arts group in school, began to study art under numerous teachers, and eventually received his degree from at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing. Fang Lijun has been labeled a "Cynical Realist," a name given to a generation of artists who grew up during the Cultural Revolution, witnessed its subsequent demise, and faced disillusionment when the mass movement to introduce democracy in China ended violently with the Tiananmen Incident in 1989. Their disillusionment led them to reject the! lofty idealism of their predecessors, and to focus on their own lives and surroundings, often using humor or sarcasm to criticize and expose the flaws of life in China. Fang Lijun currently lives and works in Beijing and has won critical acclaim for his work, which he exhibits internationally.

Other Works By This Artist [ click to view larger images ]