'In Pantin, painter Yan Pei-Ming explores human animality' Exhibition review by Philippe Dagen

In his paintings exhibited at the Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, the artist presents lionesses, lions and monkeys, alongside several self-portraits.

By Philippe Dagen

The subjects and style of painter Yan Pei-Ming, who was born in Shanghai in 1960 and has lived in France since 1980, now seemed familiar. The former include the head of Mao Zedong drawn from official images, self-portraits, portraits – including those of his parents – and numerous reworkings of famous works by Velázquez, David, Goya and other masters.  
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Ming takes the risk of experimenting with subjects he had not previously tackled and puts forward a moralistic reflection on the relationship between animals and humans. More than two-thirds of the paintings feature lionesses, lions and monkeys. The others are self-portraits, some small, others monumental.

Felines inhabit empty, barren landscapes. By treating these scenes in shades of pale grey, he strips them of any exoticism or tragedy they might otherwise possess. He neutralises them and makes their stereotypical and symbolic aspects all the more apparent. These wild animals are the usual emblems of power, which is why so many civilisations, including ancient China, have devoted so many sculptures and paintings to them. The lion embodies strength and menace. It is not so much felines that are painted here as symbols of the cult that the human race has worshipped violence and death, from its beginnings to the present day. 
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(Translated)