Through the looking glass

This is the sixth year that Martell is hosting the exhibition, which opened in Beijing on June 29. It will move to Guangzhou in August.

The jury that selected Jiang as one of this year's four winners described her work as transcendental.

"The simple lines of her sculptures invoke the imagination of the audience. While scrutinizing the world from a feminine point of view, she transcends sexuality and draws attention to the fragility and futility of life, presenting great tension and conflicts in real life," they wrote in a collective appraisal.

Meanwhile, Gu Wenda's large video installation stands nearby in stark contrast to Jiang's shiny plastic or rusty-looking sculptures.

Gu has taken huge banners made from natural fibers mixed with human hair and covered them in graffiti composed of Chinese characters. Some of the characters have been deconstructed and re-assembled in original new ways.

His other project features the 12 animals representing the Chinese horoscope. Tiny screens play cartoons showing each of the animals' related folk legends.

The other two artists' works are on display in the opposite hall. Photos by Sundsbo take up most of the space, including scores of black-and-white fashion photos and colored ones featuring tropical birds in flight. In contrast to the simple and color-starved human portraits, Sundsbo's pictures of the "Perroquet" bird use vivid colors to striking visual effect.

Four paintings by Zeng, one of China's most acclaimed oil painters over the last decade, complete the show. One is a portrait of Lorenz Helbling, owner of the ShanghART Gallery and an important player in Shanghai's art scene.

Until July 26, 9 am- 5 pm

Shanghai Art Museum

325 Nanjing Road W.

南京西路325号

Tel: 6327-2829

Tickets: 20 yuan