WANG GUANGYI (B. 1957)

Wang Guangyi is considered one of the key figures of China's Political Pop movement. His Great Criticism series originated from the artist's reaction towards the influx of Western luxury goods into the rapidly changing Chinese economy during the 1990s. Wang juxtaposed the imagery of socialist propaganda with Western brand names to conjure clashing visual metaphors as well as an ideological antagonism. The compositions from this series embody his strong position that 'the role of an artist is that of a social critic.'