Liu Hong + Zhong Biao

Utilizing woman almost solely as her subjects, Liu Hong emphasizes her figures' delicate, haunting beauty. As a noted influential professor to several now-celebrated art students, the artist's pioneering offerings of female portraits continue to distinguish her. Her portrayal of women as beings comfortable with their appearance and all that their attractiveness implies has historically been contrary to women's duty-bound realities of Hong's generation within Chinese society. The swirling presence of a fish, traditional Chinese symbol for abundance, reinforces the figure's potential. In a parallel meaning, the artist alludes to the truth that youth and superficial beauty is fleeting.