No.5 finds itself amongst Yang Shaobin’s celebrated portrait series, which is known for itsprovocative emotional expressions due to the tension and violence displayed. In this work, a flushed and slightly disfigured face takes up the large canvas, with the figure seems to be in a daze. The deep red background permeates the image of the face, leaving blocky casts on the face, and implies that the seeming stillness may be the aftermath of a conflict. The colour red is a part of the artist’s colour repertoire for symbolizing human vitality, capitalist greed, as well as the iconography of the Cultural Revolution.
Yang was born in 1963 in Tangshan, Hebei Province. China. Together with Yue Minjun and Fang Lijun, Yang has emerged as one of the leading voices in contemporary Chinese painting. Drawing on his life experiences and the urge to explore deeper into human nature, Yang imbues political commentary of societies in his works. By eliciting a sense of discomfort among viewers, the artist invites them to ruminate on the emotional pull and human struggles stemming from violence, as well as the social consciousness that may arise from that.