Tan Yongqing. Courtesy of the artist and Hive Center for Contemporary Art

Tan Yongqing’s (b. Hebei, China, lives and works in Beijing and Hebei, China) paintings always maintain an exploration of the universality and layering of life. The figures in his practice are often presented in a blurred and distorted manner, with a hint of gloom, emptiness, and detachment. While at the core is the artist’s concern for life consciousness and social issues. During the creation process, Tan often spends a lot of time repeatedly refining and modifying some details of his works until he finds a subtle feeling close to idealization. In an era when more and more people are pursuing innovations, Tan Yongqing has instead chosen to restrain and converge, a reverse firmness that is rare among post-1990 artists.