Ji Dachun

Painter Ji Dachun's poetic use of pencil, ink and white space has always resonated with traditional Chinese portrait painting. But the satirical content of his work remains as contemporary as it is compelling--whether taking on Picasso, Duchamp or the male anatomy. In this beautifully designed, beautifully printed monograph, each work takes as its inspiration a well-known tale, popular advertisement or television commercial upon which the artist transposes his own ironic take. With subversive wit, Ji Dachun examines the complex rapport between the East and the West, infusing his paintings with a grotesque sense of humor and a serendipitous sensibility. Keeping with the precedent of his earliest paintings, esoteric compositions of lines and amorphous forms heavily influenced by the American artist Cy Twombly, Ji Dachun here works with pencil and gouache to create finely detailed images with a bite. A sophisticated and delightful gift book, as well as a serious study.

This 180-page monograph on the painter Ji Dachun covers the artist's early Twombly-inspired works through to his more recent cartoon-based satires. His use of pencil and ink lines and white space resonates with traditional Chinese portrait painting. The satirical content of the works, however, is as contemporary as it is compelling. The book contains an interview with the artist by Li Xianting, and several essays by other critics of Asian art.