Серия "Маски" №26 1995

Zeng Fanzhi painted this 'Masks' series number 26 on canvas, and though the date is not known, it feels like a very contemporary work. The approach to the figures is so striking, raw, like a performance. The paint handling in this piece is what grabs me. It's both controlled and wild. Look at the way he builds up the faces with these almost scribbled marks of red and white against this gold background. There's a tension between the flat background and the textured figures. It's like he's carving them out of the canvas, making them jump forward. Zoom in on those hands. The way he's rendered the veins and knuckles, it's so visceral. There's a real sense of the body, of flesh and blood. Zeng Fanzhi makes me think of Francis Bacon, that same sense of unease and emotional intensity. Ultimately, art is about exchange and reinterpretation and Zeng Fanzhi's bold vision contributes to this ongoing dialogue.