“I like people being absorbed in what they are doing. I look to make the emotions and the mood with the colours and brushstrokes instead of with an expression on their face.”
— Cheng Xinyi

Paris-based artist Cheng Xinyi has been garnering notable attention in the contemporary art world for her sensual portrayals of intimate interactions that are the perfect mixture of subtle tradition and modernity. The Chinese artist is celebrated for her ability to transform mundane, ephemeral moments into painted compositions that are both thought-provoking and emotive, perfectly capturing the enigmatic aspects of the experience of existence.

Cheng is a documentarian of emotions, reveries, and impulses; chronicling fleeting, subdued moments with the help of a tableau of eccentric characters. Her subjects are depicted in ambiguous settings with cinematically muted shades and soft-edged contours, radiating androgynous energy with an ethereal glow. The present work exemplifies this aesthetic— the effervescent manipulation of texture and colour leaves the bare-chested protagonist suspended in an indeterminate time and space. Rather than capturing a specific incident or action, Cheng instead succeeds in visualising the sensation of ambience, presenting a manifestation of intimacy imbued with intensity.

Pablo Picasso, The Blind Man’s Meal, 1903

Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Haupt Gift, 1950

© 2022 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

In observing her work, the viewer feels almost voyeuristic, as if peering into a world that belongs solely to the depicted figure, evoking a similar effect to the experience of viewing the ‘blue’ portraits by Pablo Picasso, or for a more contemporary take, Salman Toor. But just as this intimacy excludes the viewer, it simultaneously draws us in, sparking our curiosity as we want to learn more about this private reality characterised by both strength and vulnerability.

Salman Toor, East Village Iqbal Bano, 2018

Sold by Phillips, Hong Kong on 30 November 2021 for HK$4,536,000

Cheng’s oeuvre is a study on the metaphysical world, exploring what it means to co-exist with others, and introspecting on what it means to be human. Her subjects are mostly male, and they are often close friends and acquaintances, coating her work with another layer of personal intimacy. In explanation of her delicately fragile presentation of the male figure, Cheng muses: ‘I’m interested in how men deal with their masculinity and how they respond to other people’s feelings.’ ⁱ The artist’s images are candid and reflective, unravelling the complex desires and dynamics that permeate our daily lives.

Installation view of Amsterdam, Rijksakademie OPEN 2016, Rijksakademie, 26 November - 27 November 2016

Image Courtesy of the Artist

Cheng’s major solo show Seen Through Others at Lafayette Anticipations, Paris (2022), is the latest in a long string of achievements, marking her first institutional show in France. A graduate of the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University and at the Maryland Institute College of Art, Cheng completed her residency at Rijksakademie, Amsterdam. She then went on to win the prestigious Baloise Art Prize in 2019, which culminated in a solo show at Hamburger Bahnof, Berlin (2020). Her expansive oeuvre has been the subject of numerous of solo and group exhibitions around the world.

The artist discussing her practice at the opening of her 2020 solo show at Lafayette Anticipations, Paris
- Provenance
  Private Collection, France (acquired directly from the artist)
  Acquired from the above by the present owner