01 The Path of Art: From Individual Creativity to the Mark of an Era

Fang Lijun’s artistic career began in the 1980s and flourished amid the surging tide of China’s reform and opening-up. Titled “Panning for Gold,” this exhibition cleverly echoes the geographical imagery of its venue on the shores of Jinji Lake, while also serving as a metaphor for the artist’s decades-long creative journey—a process of being washed and refined by the tides of art. Only through an unwavering commitment to truth, a reflection on the times, and a deep concern for humanity can one, after being purified by these currents, settle into “true gold.” As Fang Lijun’s art reached maturity, it coincided with a period of profound transformation in Chinese society. From the restructuring of the cultural landscape to the coexistence of diverse values, and from collective aspirations to individual perplexities, these historical imprints are authentically etched into his work.

To help viewers gain a deeper understanding of this journey, the exhibition will feature the artist’s personal archives. These manuscripts, notes, and photographs, spanning decades, vividly recount the struggles, uncertainties, and steadfast resolve of a real artist within a specific historical context. Just as Fang Lijun once described his early independent spirit of carving out his own path as “surviving like a stray dog,” these yellowed documents reveal the true trajectory of Chinese contemporary art from its wild beginnings to its global presence—a vibrant history of life that resonates in sync with the transformations of Chinese society.

02 Exploration Without End: The Expansion of Multimedia and the Evolution of Symbols

This exhibition will span several key periods in Fang Lijun’s career, showcasing a selection of his finest works across a variety of media, including oil paintings, ink paintings, ceramics, prints, and installations.

Beginning with his early works of cynical realism, Fang Lijun’s “bald head” motif has served as a visual symbol for deconstructing grand narratives and restoring the authenticity of the individual. In the oil paintings and ink works on display in this exhibition, viewers will witness the continuation and evolution of this motif. In recent years, he has turned his gaze toward the subtleties of human nature. His ink portraits focus on capturing the irreplaceable moments of each individual, refusing to be swept up by the false imagery of the “era of beauty filters.” Through the depiction of subtle facial expressions, his work reflects a profound insight into human nature.

In the field of ceramic art, Fang Lijun has articulated an aesthetic pursuit characterized by “lightness, thinness, emptiness, transparency, porosity, exquisite beauty, and fragility.” He deliberately resists the “violence of perfection” inherent in traditional craftsmanship, preserving the cracks and distortions that occur during firing to position his works at the threshold between control and chaos. In his view, this precarious state—a cliff-edge balance between splendor and fragility—is the visual metaphor that most closely captures the truth of life.

03 The Sea Has Changed Beyond Recognition: The Rebirth of Marine Debris and the Challenge to Ecological Civilization

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this exhibition is Fang Lijun’s latest work, which reflects his recent expansion of his artistic focus to include ecological issues.

Since 2025, Fang Lijun, who lives by the sea in Qinhuangdao, has been deeply troubled by the trash carelessly discarded on the beach during his daily swims. This stark contrast inspired him to embark on a new artistic endeavor—the “Ocean Trash” series. In this exhibition, visitors will see a vast collection of “remnants” of industrial civilization—including plastic, fibers, metal, buoys, and fishing nets—gathered by the artist from the beach. Through techniques such as cutting, heat-melting, and assemblage, Fang Lijun transforms these discarded materials into artworks that embody both aesthetic value and critical consciousness.

From waste to art, this is not merely a transformation of physical form, but a transcendence on the conceptual level. The spheres assembled from fragments of plastic bottles and the bald figures entangled in fishing nets continue the artist’s signature visual symbols, while expanding the early focus on the predicament of individual existence into an allegorical inquiry into the state of human civilization as a whole and its relationship with nature.

04 On the Shores of Jinji Lake: Where Artistic Masterpieces Meet a Nurturing Environment for Innovation

As a vanguard of China’s reform and opening-up, the Suzhou Industrial Park has amassed a wealth of cultural achievements through more than three decades of innovative development. As the museum notes, while artists have refined the essence of their spirit amid the torrent of the times, the Park has cultivated cultural achievements through its innovative development; together, they reveal the intrinsic connection between “sedimentation” and “sublimation” within the tide of the times.

The Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum has consistently upheld its academic mission of advancing contemporary art research and is dedicated to presenting artistic practices that possess both historical depth and contemporary significance. The decision to host a major exhibition of Fang Lijun’s work at this time and in this place is not only a tribute to the artist’s career but also an act of planting a seed of reflection on the contemporary spirit within the fertile soil of Jiangnan culture.

Fang Lijun’s works are like boulders settled on the ocean floor—hard, authentic, and rich in texture. When visitors step into the Jinji Lake Art Museum, they encounter not merely a visual narrative, but a profound dialogue with the times, with others, and with themselves.

The exhibition will run from March 29 to September 6, 2026. Let us join together, amid the surging tides, to sift through the artistic treasures of our time.