In the works created by Liu Wei in the 1990s, complicated and spontaneous composition often acts as an intuitive stimulation for the spectators. The gliding, detailed brushstrokes and smear also display a playful and perfunctory persona, described by art critic Li Xianting as “a brilliant fruit that grows out of ruins.”

Self-portrait was created in 1992. It is one of the most important works of Liu Wei’s early Revolutionary Family series, as well, his only lone-standing self-portrait so far. It was shown in the same year in the Fang Lijun and Liu Wei Oil Painting Exhibition at the Beijing Art Museum. In the painting, the subject sits on the toilet, and gazes into the spectator with both stillness and a hint of contemptuous ridicule. The casual attire and relaxed posture do not inherit the same elements of hesitation, confusion, or political play that’s common in Liu Wei’s other works. Instead, it shows a languid state of life, and brings out the youth and innocence of the artist.

The fragmented and irregular brushstrokes of Self-portrait shows a richly layered quality of realism, and the mundaneness of everyday life. The crowded pipes, miscellaneous items on the ground, toothbrushes, towels and details of daily life are depicted realistically within a limited space. The claustrophobic layout provokes a sense of oppression and voyeuristic disquiet, and subsequently hints at Liu Wei’s thoughts on an individual’s living conditions.

(Edited by Lijie Wang & Miao Zijin, 2019)