Picturing the human condition

A new exhibition at the Long Museum offers an opportunity to view the world through the eyes of Yu Hong, one of China's most celebrated female artists.

Imagine this: you wake up and find yourself standing in front of a huge rock. There are others around you who have been trying to push the rock. Others are attempting to scale it. There are also those who, despite being atop the rock, are weary of the view they once desired so badly.

These struggles are what Yu Hong, one of the most celebrated female artists in China, tries to depict in her solo exhibition which opened on March 9 and runs through May 5 at the Long Museum (West Bund) in Shanghai.

Featuring 74 of Yu's works, the exhibition is the artist's largest single showcase, according to Wang Wei, general director of the museum.

"I thought I was already very familiar with Yu's art, but I was still stunned by the enormous energy she presents through the pieces in this show," says Wang, an ardent collector of the artist's works.

The exhibition's title The World of Saha means "the world to be endured". Yu said that it is a Buddhist expression, and of great importance on her journey of personal reflection, as it suggests that all those who suffer are prisoners of their own desires.

For Yu, The World of Saha also reflects human resilience and the urge to live despite adversity. In the exhibition, Yu reconstructs personal, societal and historical memories through the media of photography and painting, tracing the history of China's last 30 years.