Fang Lijun (1965, Hebei Province) is the leader of the so-called Cynical Realist movement which emerged after 1989. He is
considered one of the most important figures in Chinese contemporary art. His colorful dream-like paintings show egg headed young
men drifting off into space, howling, groping, yawning out of boredom or searching for something meaningful in the world. They appear
to be a group of mindless souls confused and dumbfounded by modern times. Some critics say his paintings often portray a world of
youths lost after 1989. Fang Lijun portrays bare-headed rebels who challenge the orthodoxy and form a community of monk-like men
looking inward. His paintings, some of the most sought after in China, often sell for over $150,000. Fang Lijun is often ranked with
Wang Guangyi and Zhang Xiaogang as one of the three most important figures in Chinese contemporary painting.
He now lives and works in Beijing and Yunnan Province.
