2008.8.8, 2008 - Fang Lijun

As one of the pioneers of Cynical Realism, Fang Lijun is best known for his paintings and prints of generic-looking men with shaved heads massed against anonymous backgrounds of sky, clouds, or water. In early 2007 the artist began a series of paintings that began breaking out of the mold that initially made him famous. With each work titled by the date of completion, Fang Lijun's series serves as a sort of visual diary or trajectory of the artist's thoughts and moods. In 2008.8.8, the opening day of the Beijing Olympics, we have one of Fang Lijun's most hopeful works. Here a bald nubile baby plays on a bed of beautifully colored flowers as he reaches out for the soaring butterflies-- a common symbol of happiness, summer and dreams in Chinese traditional art.