Lot 90

East and West Art Gallery, Melbourne, acquired directly from the artist.

Melbourne, East and West Art Gallery, You Si, 'Painting Reaches The Way Through Penetrating Qi', June 2nd - 23rd, 1988.

You Si, the son of renowned political poster artists, was raised in post-Mao Beijing. He studied at the Shanghai Theater Academy and Anhui Province School of Art before relocating to New York in the 1980s. Blending tradition with innovation, You transforms classical ink painting by using an eyedropper to apply bold, vibrant colors. His intricate, jungle-like dreamscapes defy the traditional Chinese aesthetic of negative space, opting instead for a rich, immersive fullness. Through fluid, abstract shapes, his imagery rapidly morphs¡ªfrom lush tropical flora to human organs to amoebic forms¡ªinviting viewers into a vivid and ambiguous world entirely his own.