Sketch wig no. 14

2005
Mixed media on paper
19.4 x 27 cm

signed and dated

While Chinese Pop maintains its place as a phenomenon in the art market, Mao Tongqiang's argument with the art of the West appears to be differentiated and complex. In the "wigs" series, Mao Tongqiang interprets the subject of wig as a metaphor for the provocation of illusory identities by the cosmetics industry. The peculiar androgynous heads of the painted series appear isolated in a surreal melancholic atmosphere like rare, exotic flowers.