Our inner child revealed

Li Zhihong paints his daughter from a father's perspective.

Yan Shilin's life-sized colored copper-cast statues of young children are another highlight of the show.

Born in Changsha, Hunan province, the 30-year-old Yan's childhood experiences have heavily influenced his sculptures. He grew up with his grandparents and says he often felt out of place and frightened.

His series Sleepless Tonight uses "earplugs" to symbolize his isolation from the outside world and the helplessness he felt as a child. The series was shown at his 2010 solo exhibition in Beijing and the 2011 Future Pass Collateral Event at the 54th Venice Biennial.

Yan's largest work, Don Quixote into Wonderland, which is displayed outdoors at 798 Art Zone, has a figure on the back of a horse wearing a rabbit cap. It represents the artist setting out on a journey to a faraway wonderland.

The ongoing exhibition presents Yan's latest work, My Other Self, which depicts a pair of twins holding hands.

"They are all me, two sides of myself, mirroring each other in the real world," Yan comments.

Now working and living in Songzhuang, east of Beijing, Yan, like most Chinese post-80s artists, fights for his dreams and expresses his vision through sculpture.

The exhibition also features 43-year-old artist Li Zhihong's oil paintings, in which he paints his daughter, from a father's perspective.

"Their artworks do not have an academic style. With strong independent personalities, participants reveal their inner child's moods," says Li Chengpeng, a curator from Line Gallery.

John Vouillamoz, general manager of Langham Place, Beijing Capital International Airport, says: "It's important for adults to be reminded of what it felt like to be a child. Hopefully, art lovers will find some personal insight into their own childhood through this inspiring exhibition."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn.

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