China’s New Generation of “Me-First” Artists

Newsweek has a interesting look at the new generation of “me-first” artists in China. Rather than playing on the political themes that made the Cultural Generation group of artists famous, the post-1980s artists of China focus on expressing their individuality. Growing up as single children in a rapidly growing economy, the young generation’s work ranges from images of global fashion to comic book fantasy worlds.

Nicole Schoeni, director of Hong Kong–based Schoeni Art Gallery describes the experimental nature of this generation:

Whereas their parents were raised to listen to their superiors and to respect tradition, the ‘me’ generation are primarily concerned with themselves…It’s about the individuals, about consuming, about having fun. A lot of the artists like to work with mixed media. They’re much more willing to be more adventurous with the medium they are using.

Newsweek: “All Eyes Inward”