Wei Yi 魏艺, Zhao Goudan from Childhood, Larger Than Life, 2010, Oil on Canvas

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Description

Original unique larger than life painting by chinese social artist wei yi

artist: wei yi (魏艺)

title: zhao goudan … Read more Original unique larger than life painting by chinese social artist wei yi

artist: wei yi (魏艺)

title: zhao goudan (赵狗蛋)
series: childhood (tóngnián, 童年)

dimensions: 200 x 80 cm
year: june 2010
medium: oil on canvas

signature: signed and dated "2010.6", bottom right

condition: excellent condition

provenance: private collection, italy
accompanied by a certificate of authenticity

important note for collectors:

this artwork is part of the complete, historically significant childhood (tóngnián) collection.
we currently possess the entire set of eleven original, unique pieces (5 sculptures and 6 oil paintings).

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the artist

based first in shanghai then in suzhou, wei yi (魏艺) achieved critical acclaim in the late 2000s and early 2010s for his monumental paintings and impressive sculptures. His work serves as a fearless investigation into the dark underbelly of a rapidly developing china, exposing deeply censored social crises including pediatric aids, prostitution, systemic poverty, and drug addiction.a dedicated documentary filmmaker as well, wei yi utilised his lens to capture the raw, unvarnished realities of those forgotten by modern progress.
because of his fierce reluctance to look the other way or succumb to state censorship, he paid a severe personal price and was jailed several times by authorities. Since the mid-2010s, it has been impossible to contact the artist through normal channels, and his current whereabouts remain strictly undisclosed.

the series

the childhood (tóngnián, 童年) series is a profoundly moving, cohesive collection comprising five unique sculptures and six oil on canvas paintings, each meticulously dedicated to an individual child. Grounded in arthur schopenhauer’s premise that early indoctrination can firmly plant even the most obvious absurdities in a young mind, dissident chinese artist wei yi explores the hidden psychological costs of systemic conditioning in a rapidly modernising nation.

rather than focusing on the children's superficial beauty—the modern fruit of material abundance—wei yi captures their interior landscapes. His subjects are well-nourished on the outside by humble parents who survived historical scarcity and for whom food remains life's primary meaning. Yet, the artist peers past this physical comfort to reveal a deeper spiritual starvation. Through their lost gazes, wei yi exposes the silent struggle of small souls frantically clawing to break free from blind institutional compliance.

by calling each child by their specific name, wei yi offers a final token to reawaken their stolen individuality and unique essence. He listened to their thoughts and captured the fragile flutters of their hearts within the vacuum of rigid state conformity. Ultimately, these eleven pieces frame this new generation not as passive products of a secular, state-worshiping morality, but as a visceral hope for future defiance. They represent a universal necessity for rebellion against corporate greed and institutional subjection, standing as a powerful reminder that we must teach children they have the fundamental human right to say "no"—both in china and across the world.

the artwork

zhao goudan (赵狗蛋) is a powerful and unsettling unique oil on canvas painting that directly addresses the clash between global consumerism and primal survival instincts.

set against wei yi's signature pitch-black backdrop, a young boy emerges into the light, dressed in a contemporary winter jacket featuring a prominent, westernized automotive logo—a clear marker of modern china's economic aspirations. In stark contrast to this superficial symbol of progress, he holds a large red tray containing a raw, visceral pig's head and trotter. The boy’s direct, unblinking gaze carries a heavy mix of vulnerability and early maturity.

through this striking composition, wei yi masterfully highlights the profound psychological dissonance of a generation caught between the rigid structures of modern institutional status and the raw, heavy survival obsessions inherited from their parents. This piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less