Hat series

One of the most striking aspects of Yue Minjun's works is the fluidity and ingenuity with which he reconfigures his satirical self-portrait in new and compelling settings and compositions. Painted in 2005, the laughing figure in Hat Series (Lot 227) has no true individual character. With eyes shut and virtually all of his teeth accounted for is the representation of a collective psychological disposition, a generation too jaded to comport to expected norms or behaviors. The absurdity of the hysterical laugh is also what continues to make his works contemporary in a sociopolitical context: the self-portrait has become standardized, making its repetition a direct comment on the extremes and contradictions inherent in China's path to modernization. As Yue's style continues to evolve, his trademark grimace remains a constant feature throughout his oeuvre. It is precisely Yue's deceptively simple artistic idiom, combined with his rigorous and efficient use of metaphor and allusion, which have earned him his status as one of the leading figures of contemporary Chinese avant-garde art.