Li Shan

Li Shan born in Heilongjiang in 1942, graduated from Shanghai Academy of Theatre Academy in 1968. Li Shan has always maintained a very distinct artistic vision and a personal style which has remained largely unswayed through the rise and fall of numerous contemporary art trends. As one of the most important contemporary artists in China, he has involved in many important domestic and international contemporary art exhibitions, from as early as ‘5 New Wave’, ’89 Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition’, ‘1993 Venice Biennale’, ‘1994 San Paulo Biennale’ to ‘Tai Pei Museum of Contemporary arts’.

Since his emergence amongst the '85 New Wave, Li Shan has been centre-stage in the Chinese avant-garde movement. Known for his 'Rouge' series, in which he depict an androgynous Mao wearing lipstick and carrying a lotus flower, set upon a background of vivid colours inspired by American Pop Art. Li's constantly evolving quest to seek societal understanding leads him to abhor stagnation, and become regarded as a highly dynamic artist. Depending on the phase of his works, Li Shan has experimented with abstract modernist ideals, political commentary, and even biological life forms such as animals. But one consistent thread that links all of his diverse works together is the question of life and humanity.