Created By
Zhao Xiaojia (赵小甲)
Oil on canvas
Curator
Luke Chapman
Zhao Xiaojia’s "Most Outstanding Artist in #1" thrums with the restless energy of 20th-century avant-garde, channeling existential bravado and subversive wit. In this portrait, Zhao’s brushwork oscillates between precision and dissolution, the subject’s form emerging from a haze of impasto and dripping pigment—an homage to both the resilience and vulnerability of artistic identity. The textured surface and gestural marks evoke a sense of perpetual becoming, as if the sitter—Ai Weiwei, that perennial provocateur—exists in a liminal zone between icon and insurgent. Zhao’s deft manipulation of materiality and space not only destabilizes the conventions of portraiture but also invites viewers to contemplate the paradox of visibility and erasure in the construction of cultural legend. This work stands as a poignant meditation on the mythos of the artist, refracted through the lens of contemporary Chinese art and the global echoes of creative dissent.
Zhao Xiaojia’s "Most Outstanding Artist in the World" is a striking oil portrait that fuses expressive brushwork with a minimalist palette, capturing both the presence and aura of its subject, Ai Weiwei. The composition is defined by its textured, impasto background and the artist’s signature drips and gestural marks, which evoke a sense of movement and impermanence. Sparse yet intentional strokes delineate the figure, while calligraphic elements and paint runs suggest both the weight of history and the fleeting nature of fame. Zhao’s approach blurs the boundary between representation and abstraction, inviting viewers to reflect on the construction of artistic identity and the enduring impact of cultural icons.
Created By
Zhao Xiaojia (赵小甲)
60 x 51 cm | 24 x 20 in
2013
