YIN XIN (CHINA, B. 1959)

Office Politics
Signed

Dated 2004
Acrylic on canvas
100cm x 100cm (unframed)

尹欣 辦公室政治

2004年作

壓克力布面

款式：Yin.04 於畫布右下

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PROVENANCE:

English Private Collection, acquired from directly from the artist's studio.

來源：

英國私人收藏，購於藝術家工作室。

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NOTE:

Yin Xin, a painter hailing from China's far-western province of Xinxiang, was just seven years old when the Cultural Revolution commenced in his homeland. This tumultuous period left an indelible mark on the young artist, prompting him to reject the constraints of social realism—a style enforced during his time at Art College. While his peers delved into propaganda graphic art, Yin Xin plotted his escape into expressionism, disillusioned by the endless still lives and rigid conventions of his education. He pursued formal education at Xinjiang Normal University of Fine Arts before teaching there for two years. Further studies took him to the Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Art, where he honed his craft and developed his distinct style.

Noteworthy among his achievements is a commission by Notre Dame de Paris in 2017, which resulted in three of his works— "Madonna and Son," "Portrait of Martyr Chan Chang Pin," and a pair of Chinese couplets—being permanently displayed within the cathedral.

Yin Xin is best known for his masterful reinterpretations of Western classical art. He gained widespread recognition for his unique approach of revising iconic Western masterpieces by infusing them with Chinese or Asian characteristics. His works challenge traditional notions of beauty, identity, and cultural ownership, blending Eastern and Western aesthetics in an engaging dialogue. In his series of "Old Master" reinterpretations, Yin transforms famous Western paintings, such as works by Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Vermeer, and others, by altering the physical appearance of the subjects, often giving them Asian facial features and clothing. His most famous work is his reinterpretation of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, where he replaces the familiar Western face with an Asian woman, challenging viewers to reconsider cultural assumptions. Yin’s reinterpretations are not merely playful alterations; they reflect deep philosophical questions about cultural exchange, global history, and the blending of identities. His works invite viewers to contemplate how visual representation shapes and reflects power dynamics, colonial histories, and the negotiation of identity in a globalized world. Yin Xin relocated to Paris in 1994, where he continues to live and work. His time in Paris exposed him to the rich history of European art and deepened his understanding of Western art movements, allowing him to explore and challenge these traditions further.

Yin Xin’s works have been exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions across Europe, the United States, and Asia. His exhibitions showcase not only his reinterpretations of Western art but also works that delve into identity, portraiture, and cultural hybridity.

Selected Solo Exhibitions:

• 2021 - Dialogue Across Time: Yin Xin Reimagines the Masters, Rossi Contemporary Art Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
• 2018 - Old Master Revisited, Galerie Paris-Beijing, Paris, France
• 2015 - Cultural Crossings: Yin Xin's Interpretations, Hadrien de Montferrand Gallery, Beijing, China
• 2012 - Faces of History: Yin Xin and Western Art, Gallery Nationale, Berlin, Germany
• 2009 - Reenvisioning Classics, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
• 2006 - Yin Xin: Reimagining Da Vinci, Galerie Tamenaga, Paris, France
• 2004 - New Perspectives on Old Masters, The October Gallery, London, UK
• 1999 - The Silk Road Revisited, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China

Selected Group Exhibitions:

• 2023 - The Power of Portraiture, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), Beijing, China
• 2020 - Global Art Exchange: East Meets West, Kunstmuseum, Basel, Switzerland
• 2017 - Convergence: Western and Asian Art in Dialogue, National Museum of Singapore
• 2014 - Merging Identities, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
• 2011 - Portraits Through Time, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
• 2007 - East-West Narratives in Contemporary Art, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
• 2003 - Asian Influences in Western Art, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France
• 1996 - Contemporary Chinese Artists Abroad, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China

Awards and Recognition

• 2009 - Prix de Peinture de la Fondation Pierre Gianadda (Painting Prize of the Pierre Gianadda Foundation)
• 2007 - Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, France, awarded for contributions to global culture
• 2005 - Asia Art Pioneer Award, Hong Kong Art Foundation
• 2001 - Selected as one of the "100 Artists Shaping Global Contemporary Art" by ArtAsiaPacific Magazine

Yin Xin’s works are held in several prominent private and public collections, including:

• The Louvre Museum, Paris, France
• The National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
• The Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
• The British Museum, London, UK