This oil painting depicts a dog emerging from a field of pink in the centre of the composition. The dog’s snout and teeth are painted realistically, while its body and legs are outlined faintly. Dripped paint can be seen in the foreground, which is painted with irregular and vigorous brushstrokes. Red paint is thickly applied to the area below the dog’s snout, suggesting a wound. The background features flowers, most of which are a metallic green colour, with two pink blooms and one yellow one among them. The blend of abstract and figural representations and the expressive brushwork are characteristic of Liu Wei’s paintings, which often feature depictions of grotesque and distorted figures. Liu is a key figure of the cynical realism movement that emerged from discontent in China in the 1990s. In this work, the representation of the dog recalls his depictions of nude women and pigs with imagery of rotting flesh, and evokes a sense of decay in a society that has lost its spiritual centre. Liu’s later work reveals diverse influences from Chinese calligraphy, ancient architecture, and landscapes.
Liu Wei (born 1965, Beijing) graduated from the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, in 1989. Primarily working in painting, he is known for spearheading the Cynical Realism movement alongside Fang Lijun in the 1990s. He creates abstract and expressive landscape work that mocks the outside world in an earnest assessment of contemporary reality. Liu lives and works in Beijing.