Oil on canvas

48 × 38 cm 18 7/8 × 15 in.

Numbered，signed in Chinese and dated on reverse

LITERATURE:
1997, 8+8-1: Selected Paintings by 15 Contemporary Artists, Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong, p.22
EXHIBITED：
20 Jun – 12 Jul 1997，8+8-1：Selected Paintings by 15 Contemporary Artists，Schoeni Art Gallery，Hong Kong
1998，8+8-1：Selected Paintings by 15 Contemporary Artists，Connaught Brown Gallery，London

This work is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Schoeni Art Gallery，Hong KongRetrospect of Memory and History Class One Series by Zeng Fanzhi
Zeng Fanzhi’s works are in changeable styles，attending to both inner wisdom and appearance，which leaves people unforgettable memories.He was renowned as the leader of the Asian Modern Art.In the 1990s，he successfully held a solo exhibition with the help of Schoeni Art Gallery in Hong Kong and kept internationalize his works thereafter.After the exhibition of “8+8-1：Selected Paintings by 15 Contemporary Artists” at Hong Kong Schoeni Art Gallery in 1997，Zeng Fanzhi became famous in the art circle home and abroad.
The most representative work by Zeng fanzhi，the “Mask Artist”，is his Class One Series created in the middle of 1990s immediately after his early Hospital series.The Class One Series is based on his life experience in 1993 when he left hometown for Beijing to seek for a new start.The two works on auction this time are selected from the Class One Series created in 1996，which are also his major representative works during that period.The theme is originated from the revolutionary story of “Junior Red Guards at the Tongyi Street Primary School Combating with Class Enemies”.Through the young heroic figure of “Junior Red Guard Zhizhi”，the painter silently announces the declaration to the contemporary society.His highly concise artistic expressions and profound physiologic expressions have received enthusiastic responses from the society.
The creation of Class One Series is originated from Zeng Fanzhi’s misery and traumatised childhood.Grown up during the Cultural Revolution，Zeng Fanzhi witnessed the upheaval of city and society in his childhood.The early life time in Wuhan also left this young man deep marks on heart.In this series of works，the shadow of his childhood is portrayed into some highly distinctive characters.In the era when social ideology is under complete control，the red scarf that he didn’t get has left an indelible memory in his heart.Later in his creations，this deep regret over the red scarf has become a representative feature of the central characters in his works.Both the characters and the red scarves deliver depressed feelings in his heart from childhood.
In the paintings，the young man’s face is covered by a mask，eyes staring at the audience in a thoughtful expression of an adult.It seems that the hard-working young pioneer is inspecting the injustice and shameful conducts through his gaze.However，the viewer can never know the true intentions of the red skin and exaggerated expressions beneath the mask.It seems as if the character has given up to the hardship of life in every possible way，and cannot take off the disguise at his own will，because it is indispensable in reality.In the two works，the young man’s expression under the mask is extremely appealing that highlights the unique significance of the two works.
In the presentation of Class One Series，the firm lines and rigid characters showcase the influence from the early western Expressionism，and the painter’s efforts in his local exploration as the pioneer of Chinese art.Zeng Fanzhi uses two-dimensional expressions and adopts the teases art to give the paintings absurd and recreational sentiments and to reveal the great psychological impacts of social revolutions in that certain period.Such unique artistic expressions gradually have shaped the artistic style of Zeng Fanzhi and became popular to all.The series of works also became symbolic works in Chinese modern art.

Price estimate:
HKD: 1,200,000 – 1,800,000
USD: 154,400 – 231,700

Auction Result:
HKD: 1,770,000