Watercolour on paper

38.6×26.6 cm. 15 1/4×10 1/2 in.

Signed in Chinese and dated on the reverse
PROVENANCE
Received as a gift by present private Asian collector from the artist

Radiant Childhood, Bursting Imagination
Chen Fei's Tribute to Art Toy Classics

Born in Shanxi, China, in 1983, Chen Fei graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 2005 and has since emerged as a leading figure in China's "New Figurative Painting" movement. His meticulously crafted works encapsulate the intersection of anime iconography and pop toy culture in the era of globalization. In 2007, he was awarded the China New Talent Painting Prize,and five years later, he received the Future Generation Art Prize from the Today Art Museum and the Martell Art Foundation. By the age of 30, Chen Fei had already been invited to participate in the Venice Biennale, with his works collected by institutions such as M+ in Hong Kong, the Today Art Museum in Beijing, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Chen Fei is deeply passionate about anime culture and has an extensive collection of toys at home. Among his favourites is the collaborative toy NagNagNag Four Eyes Bearbrick. The former, a Godzilla-inspired sofubi (soft vinyl) toy, took the world by storm in the 2010s with its striking design and limited production. The latter, known for its rounded bear shape and limited crossover editions, has been a global phenomenon since 2000. In this work, Chen Fei brings these two legendary toys together in a dazzling collision. The cosmic, kaleidoscopic colours and the figure's unrestrained, expressive face serve as a key to unlocking the artist's boundless creative universe, embodying his deep love and tribute to pop toy culture.

Price estimate:
HKD 10,000 – 20,000
USD 1,300 – 2,600