Oil，acrylic，thread and beads on linen

90 x 90 cm. 35 3/8 x 35 3/8 in.

Signed in Chinese and English “Happy？90 x 90 cm Oil Color,thread,beads,shine stone and acrylic medium on printed calico Chenke 2008” on the reverse
Exhibited：Star Gallery,Beijing,China,Personal War,2 August - 15 September 2008

Chen Ke
Chen Ke started off her artistic career with cartoon figures. Nominated for the Awards of Art China’s Young Artist of the Year 2008,she was invited to exhibit her artworks among important institutes such as Hong Kong City Hall,National Art Museum of China,Museum Ludwig,Vienna and MOCA Shanghai. Her cartooned artworks,though sweet and full of youthful imaginations,are a truthful expression of her sentiments as a young girl born in the post-70s China,and convey the impacts and commotions young generation face as they enter the society. The uniqueness of her art is deemed refreshing and representative of the New Generation of Cartoon of China.
Unlike the “superflat” movement of Japan,Chen’s cartoon is rooted in childhood memories rather than in culture. As such,its sense of nostalgia has become more distinct as the artist‘s artistic expression gains sophistication. In the 2007 exhibition,With You,I Will Never Feel Lonely,she painted various individualized motifs on old furniture and toys.
Year 2008 saw Chen rise to prominence in the Chinese art scene and is the most exciting year of her venture into new creative media. Her works in that year have even stronger handmade textures and richer visual effects,often employing floral print fabric,beads,acrylic medium and oil paints together. The immense loneliness and despair of the young doleful girl continue to engulf her viewers. In Happy？from 2008,Chen has created an intense visual effect by melding together multiple media,an unusually large splash of red paint and blank space typical of ink painting. The striking red paint,with silver beads scattered here and there,drips down the canvas. The embroidered Christmas trees suggest that the art piece was created during a festival season. The title is formed by red beads near the bottom. A girl in a sapphire blue shirt in the bottom right corner stares into the silver stars in the central area,her back dissolving in the red drips. The artist has skillfully depicted the fleeting memories of the girl,her nostalgia for past festivities and wishing upon the stars,lending the work both warmth and a sense of melancholy.
Chen’s cartoons are marked by a strong sense of contextuality and narrativity. They communicate the sentiments behind and speak to the hearts of the viewers. They provide a new and unpretentious expression in China for personal emotions.

Price estimate:
HKD：300,000 - 400,000
USD：38,700 - 51,600

Auction Result:
HKD: --