ZHOU YIBO (BORN 1953)

A cleverly composed piece, Zhou portrays the typical village musician, travelling between villages to perform. With instruments laden on his back, Zhou uses merely a few brushstrokes to delineate the artist's features, emphasizing the Chinese traditional notion of retaining the essence rather than demarcating every facial expression. Zhou's preference for simple composition is a statement towards China's progression from its simple village life to finding new opportunities in new locations.
This piece was previously exhibited at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, as well as the National Art Museum in China and in Germany.