Acrylic on canvas

149.5×200 cm. 58 7/8×78 3/4 in.

Signed in Chinese and pinyin and dated on bottom left; signed in Chinese and pinyin, titled in Chinese, and dated on the reverse

LITERATURE
2005, Chinese Art Triennial - Future Archaeology, Hubei Fine Arts Publishing House Co., Ltd., Wuhan, p.149
EXHIBITED
8 May – 14 Aug 2005, Chinese Art Triennial - Future Archaeology, Nanjing Museum, Nanjing

PROVENANCE
7 Nov 2005, Beijing Cheng Xuan Autumn Auction, Lot 288
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

Watching the Years of Youth Through the Eyes of a Boy
Li Jikai's World of Innocence

Born in the 1970s, artist Li Jikai graduated from the Oil Painting Department of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in 1999, and obtained his PhD in Fine Arts from the Chinese National Academy of Arts in 2020. He is known as the "New Cartoon Generation" for his fresh and dreamy cartoon style with a sense of humour, and his intriguing and profound connotations underneath the interesting surface. His works have been collected by the Long Museum in Shanghai, Today Art Museum in Beijing, Guangdong Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art in Singapore, and other art institutions at home and abroad.

Since 2000, "young boy" has become the main character in Li's works, which is his self-projection and the epitome of the common memory of a generation. Family Story, in which a young boy is the protagonist, was exhibited in the Second Triennial of Chinese Art at the Nanjing Museum in 2005 and won the Grand Prize, thus demonstrating the importance of representativeness.

The All-encompassing "Toy Table"

In the setting that looks like a toy table, a boy is placed like a doll in a nostalgic scene. Li Jikai has reduced the scale of the human figure to show the attitude of a child. The child on the left, with a scar on his head, sits dejectedly under the flagpole, reflecting the loneliness of the individual in the midst of the collective consciousness of the student era. Below, a boy who is studying hard cannot help but indulge in daydreaming. In the upper right corner, a family portrait is shown. While the parents looking solemn and calm, the child peeking upwards at his father inquisitively and innocently. The loving and childish image strikes a chord in the heart of every viewer.

In particular, a bolt of lightning splits the blue background. It is a symbol of rebellion and challenge. Below it, the child holding a sniper's gun is aiming at a dull and fragmented sculpture. The portrait sculpture is reminiscent of traditional art school sketching exercises. The act of aiming and shooting is a powerful release of the young generation's vitality.

"Enjoy yourself while you can, before you lose the opportunity or before you become too old". The bare tree and branches on the left side of the painting are a poetic metaphor for the preciousness of memories. Family Story encompasses warm family memories, youthful rebellion and sensitivity. The flash of lightning dominates the whole area, inspiring the viewer to break down barriers and write a new chapter.

Price estimate:
HKD 70,000 - 100,000
USD 9,000 – 12,800