Yue Minjun China, born 1962

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Yue Minjun - Contemporary Terracotta Warrior No.5
Auction
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale
March 2023
Phillips, London Auction
Est.: 20.000 - 30.000 GBP
Realised: 38.100 GBP
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Ism No. 17), 2006
Auction
Prints & Multiples
March 2023
Bonhams
Est.: 1.400 - 1.600 EUR
Realised: 1.913 EUR
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Ism No. 12), 2006
Auction
Prints & Multiples
March 2023
Bonhams
Est.: 1.400 - 1.600 EUR
Realised: 2.040 EUR
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Ism No. 11), 2006
Auction
Prints & Multiples
March 2023
Bonhams
Est.: 1.400 - 1.600 EUR
Realised: 1.785 EUR
Details
Yue Minjun - Hat Series: Cat Woman
Auction
21st Century Art Day Sale
December 2022
Christies, Hong Kong
Est.: 500.000 - 700.000 HKD
Realised: 945.000 HKD
Details
Yue Minjun - Smile-Ism Series
Auction
No Regrets: 20th/21st Century Art Online
December 2022
Christies, Hong Kong (Online Auction)
Est.: 20.000 - 40.000 HKD
Realised: 30.240 HKD
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Ism No. 17), 2006
Auction
Estampes & Multiples
November 2022
Bonhams, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.500 EUR
Realised: not available
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Ism No. 13), 2006
Auction
Estampes & Multiples
November 2022
Bonhams, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.500 EUR
Realised: 1.913 EUR
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Ism No. 12), 2006
Auction
Estampes & Multiples
November 2022
Bonhams, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.500 EUR
Realised: not available
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Ism No. 11), 2006
Auction
Estampes & Multiples
November 2022
Bonhams, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.500 EUR
Realised: not available
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Ism No.10), 2006
Auction
Estampes & Multiples
November 2022
Bonhams, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.500 EUR
Realised: 1.785 EUR
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Ism N°1), 2006
Auction
Estampes & Multiples
November 2022
Bonhams, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.500 EUR
Realised: 2.040 EUR
Details

The artist Yue Minjun

  • Contemporary Chinese artist of Cynical Realism.
  • The laughing face as a motif became his signature.
  • Three of his artworks were sold for several million euros.

Yue Minjun, born 1962 in Daqing, China, is a contemporary Chinese artist of Cynical Realism. Minjun's most striking motif, which he uses in almost every work, is the laughing face – closed eyes and a wide open mouth often cynically reveal to the viewer the violent laughter of the person depicted. It is cynical because he sometimes embeds the dissolute laughter in inappropriate situations. One of his most famous objects, The Execution, is an apt example of this.

The art piece was auctioned for several million euros  – just like the other two oil paintings The Massacre of Chios and The Pope . The colouring of his paintings ranges between pastel tones and strong blue and is not by chance reminiscent of socialist propaganda posters.

Minjun critically examines Chinese politics during his artistic work and thus processes both current and historical events. His style is therefore attributed to Cynical Realism, a contemporary Chinese art movement close to Political Pop. His sculptures also take up the laughing facial expression. His sculpture labyrinth A-maze-ing Laughter, for example, consists of 14 recognisably laughing bronze figures.

They were first shown at the International Biennale in Vancouver (2009 – 2011) in Morton Park near English Bay Beach, where they were subsequently left.  Minjun studied art at Hebei Normal University in Shijiazhuang in the 1980s. Today he lives and works in Beijing.

Der Künstler Yue Minjun

  • Zeitgenössischer chinesischer Künstler des Zynischen Realismus.
  • Das lachende Gesicht als Motiv wurde zu seinem Kennzeichen.
  • Drei seiner Werke wurden jeweils für mehrere Millionen Euro verkauft.

Yue Minjun, geb. 1962 in Daqing, China, ist ein zeitgenössischer chinesischer Künstler des Zynischen Realismus. Minjuns prägnantestes Motiv, das er in nahezu jedem Werk aufgreift, ist das lachende Gesicht – geschlossene Augen und ein breiter geöffneter Mund offenbaren den Betrachtenden oft in zynischer Weise das heftige lachen der abgebildeten Personen. Zynisch ist es deshalb, weil er das ausschweifende Lachen teils in unpassende Situationen einbettet. Eines seiner bekanntesten Objekte, die Hinrichtung, ist ein treffendes Beispiel hierfür.

Das Stück wurde genau wie die beiden anderen Ölgemälde Das Massaker von Chios und Der Papst für umgerechnet mehrere Millionen Euro versteigert. Die Farbgebung seiner Gemälde bewegt sich zwischen pastelligen Tönen und kräftigem Blau und erinnert nicht durch Zufall an sozialistische Propagandaplakate:

Minjun setzt sich während seiner künstlerischen Arbeit kritisch mit chinesischer Politik auseinander und verarbeitet so sowohl aktuelle als auch geschichtliche Begebenheiten. Sein Stil wird deshalb dem Zynischen Realismus, einer zeitgenössischen chinesischen Kunstrichtung, die nahe am Politischen Pop liegt, zugeschrieben. Auch seine Skulpturen greifen die lachende Mimik wieder auf.

Sein Skulpturenlabyrinth A-maze-ing Laughter etwa besteht aus 14 erkennbar lachenden Bronzefiguren. Sie waren zunächst auf der International Biennale in Vancouver (2009 – 2011) im Morton Park nahe des English Bay Beach zu sehen, wo sie anschließend auch belassen wurden. Minjun studierte in den 1980er Jahren an der Hebei Normal Universität in ShijiazhuangKunst. Heute lebt und arbeitet er in Peking.

Yue Minjun - Contemporary Terracotta Warrior No. 8
Auction
20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale
June 2022
Phillips, Hong Kong Auction
Est.: 350.000 - 550.000 HKD
Realised: 756.000 HKD
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Isme N°20) - 2006
Auction
Limited Edition
May 2022
Artcurial, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.000 EUR
Realised: 3.674 EUR
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Isme N°13) - 2006
Auction
Limited Edition
May 2022
Artcurial, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.000 EUR
Realised: 1.837 EUR
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-Isme N°16) - 2006
Auction
Limited Edition
May 2022
Artcurial, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.000 EUR
Realised: 2.362 EUR
Details
Yue Minjun - 99 Idol Series No. 99
Auction
Contemporary Day Auction
April 2022
Sothebys, Hong Kong
Est.: 140.000 - 280.000 HKD
Realised: 226.800 HKD
Details
Yue Minjun - Hat Series: Cat Woman
Auction
Contemporary Day Auction
April 2022
Sothebys, Hong Kong
Est.: 700.000 - 1.200.000 HKD
Realised: 819.000 HKD
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-ism No.8)
Auction
Out of the Box - For the Holiday SeasonHandbags (501-536) Watches (537-562) Jewellery (570-620) Contemporary Art (621-629) Pens (630-689) Automobilia (690-740)
December 2021
Bonhams, Hong Kong (Online Auction)
Est.: 15.000 - 30.000 HKD
Realised: 19.125 HKD
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-ism No. 24)
Auction
Out of the Box - For the Holiday SeasonHandbags (501-536) Watches (537-562) Jewellery (570-620) Contemporary Art (621-629) Pens (630-689) Automobilia (690-740)
December 2021
Bonhams, Hong Kong (Online Auction)
Est.: 15.000 - 30.000 HKD
Realised: 19.125 HKD
Details
Yue Minjun - 99 Idol Series No. 10, 68, 82; & 88
Auction
21st Century Art Day Sale
December 2021
Christies, Hong Kong
Est.: 400.000 - 600.000 HKD
Realised: 1.000.000 HKD
Details
Yue Minjun - Untitled (Smile-ism No. 1-28)
Auction
Contemporary Art | Hong Kong
November 2021
Sothebys, Hong Kong
Est.: 400.000 - 600.000 HKD
Realised: 529.200 HKD
Details
Yue Minjun - Smile - Ism N°9 - 2006
Auction
Limited Edition
November 2021
Artcurial, Paris
Est.: 1.500 - 2.000 EUR
Realised: 1.820 EUR
Details
Yue Minjun - Contemporary Terracotta Warrior No.5
Auction
20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale in Association with Poly Auction
November 2021
Phillips, Hong Kong Auction
Est.: 300.000 - 500.000 HKD
Realised: 504.000 HKD
Details

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