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Yue Minjun Art

Chinese, b. 1962

YUE MINJUN Yue Min-Jun (born 1962, Daqing, China) is one of the leading Chinese artists. He is best known for oil paintings depicting formations of his laughing self-portraits in various settings. His iconography is easily recognisable, it challenges social and cultural conventions by depicting objects and political issues in a radical, abstract, ironic and cynical manner. Yue Min-Jun initially started painting as a hobby, subsequently he graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Hebei Normal University, China in 1985. In the 90s he joined an artist community in Yuan Ming Yuan, a village near Beijing where he began to form his style and iconography. The paintings, sculptures, and installations of Yue Minjun feature uniform laughing pink faces, which appear to be self-portraits. Through various symbols, metaphors, signs, or through depictions of daily life the artist constructs various realities against which the laughing figures are rendered. "In my work, laughter is a representation of a state of helplessness, lack of strength and participation, with the absence of our rights that society has imposed on us." —Yue Minjun Yue became famous after his participation in the 48th Venice Biennale in 1999, which granted him access to international art. One of the best-known paintings by Yue Minjun and an icon for modern Chinese art and the Cynical Realism movement is Execution. It was painted in 1995 and is generally regarded as a reaction to the Tiananmen Square crackdown of 1989, as it shows several laughing men in front of an execution squad. The cloned all smiling Minjun self-portraits have become known in the art world as the "Silly Man". As the preparation for his paintings, the artist uses photographs of himself being photographed in various poses. This approach reflects the self-irony of the artist. Yue Minjun is often classified as part of the Chinese "Cynical Realist" movement, however, the artist does not support such attribution. Nevertheless, Yue often challenges social and cultural conventions by depicting objects and political issues in a radical, abstract, ironic and cynical manner.

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Artist: Yue Minjun
The Three Musketeers

Yue MinjunThe Three Musketeers, 2022

$2,400Sale Price|20% Off

The Three Musketeers

By Yue Minjun

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Yue Minjun Title: The Three Musketeers Year: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Rives BFK paper, deckled edges Edition: 130; signed and numbered in pencil Sheet: 31 1/2 × 39 2/5 in...

Category

2010s Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Screen

Snatched Ecstasy (Portfolio of 20), Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese
Snatched Ecstasy (Portfolio of 20), Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

Snatched Ecstasy (Portfolio of 20), Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

By Yue Minjun

Located in Zug, CH

Yue Minjun, Snatched Ecstasy (Portfolio of 20) Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese Lithograph Edition of 130 80 × 120 cm (47 1/5 × 31 1/2 in) Each print ...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Lithograph

Remarkable People, Pop Art Lithograph by Yue Minjun
Remarkable People, Pop Art Lithograph by Yue Minjun

Remarkable People, Pop Art Lithograph by Yue Minjun

By Yue Minjun

Located in Long Island City, NY

Yue Minjun, Chinese (1962 - ) - Remarkable People, Year: 2009, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: XXXII/CXXX, Size: 47.5 x 39.5 in. (120.65 x 100.33 cm),...

Category

Early 2000s Pop Art Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Lithograph

Surplus Value (Beige) Contemporary Mixed Media Sculpture, Signed
Surplus Value (Beige) Contemporary Mixed Media Sculpture, Signed

Surplus Value (Beige) Contemporary Mixed Media Sculpture, Signed

By Yue Minjun

Located in Bristol, GB

Mixed materials (wood & copper) Edition 4 of 75 Signed on the base, and numbered on the base and the accompanying insert card Mint. Small chip on the wooden box bottom back corner, o...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Copper

Surplus Value (Brown) Mixed Media Sculpture, Signed, Edition 4 of 75
Surplus Value (Brown) Mixed Media Sculpture, Signed, Edition 4 of 75

Surplus Value (Brown) Mixed Media Sculpture, Signed, Edition 4 of 75

By Yue Minjun

Located in Bristol, GB

Mixed materials (wood & copper) Edition 4 of 75 Signed on the base, and numbered on the base and the accompanying insert card Mint. Small chip on the wooden box bottom back corner, o...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Copper

Untitled (Smile-ism No. 20)
Untitled (Smile-ism No. 20)

Untitled (Smile-ism No. 20)

By Yue Minjun

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Yue Minjun Title: Untitled (Smile-ism No. 20) Year: 2006 Medium: Lithograph on Rives BFK paper Edition: 45; signed and numbered in pencil Sheet: 43.50 x 35.25 in. (110.5 x 8...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled (Smile-ism No. 9)

Untitled (Smile-ism No. 9)

By Yue Minjun

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Yue Minjun Title: Untitled (Smile-ism No. 9) Year: 2006 Medium: Lithograph on Rives BFK paper Edition: 45; signed and numbered in pencil Sheet: 31.5 x 43.25 in. (80 x 109.9 ...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Lithograph

Starry Night - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese
Starry Night - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

Starry Night - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

By Yue Minjun

Located in Zug, CH

Yue Minjun, Starry Night Lithograph Edition of 130 120 x 80 cm (47.2 x 31.5 in) Stamped Signature, numbered in Roman numerals In mint condition, as acquired from the publisher PLEAS...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Lithograph

Remarkable People, Yue Minjun- Art, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese
Remarkable People, Yue Minjun- Art, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

Remarkable People, Yue Minjun- Art, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

By Yue Minjun

Located in Zug, CH

Yue Minjun, Remarkable People Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese Lithograph Edition of 130 80 × 120 cm (47 1/5 × 31 1/2 in) Stamped Signature, numbered ...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Lithograph

Hero Here - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese
Hero Here - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

Hero Here - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

By Yue Minjun

Located in Zug, CH

Yue Minjun, Hero Here Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese Lithograph Edition of 130 120 × 80 cm (47 1/5 × 31 1/2 in) Stamped Signature, numbered in Roman...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Lithograph

Lotus Pool - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese
Lotus Pool - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

Lotus Pool - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese

By Yue Minjun

Located in Zug, CH

Yue Minjun, Lotus Pool Lithograph in color on wove paper “BFK Rives” Edition of 130 120 x 80 cm (47.2 x 31.4 in) Stamped Signature, numbered in Roman numerals In mint condition, as a...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Yue Minjun Art

Materials

Lithograph

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Previously Available Items
Armed Forces - Contemporary, 21st Century, Lithograph, Limited Edition, Chinese
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The Three Musketeers

Yue MinjunThe Three Musketeers, 2022

Sold

H 31.5 in W 39.25 in

The Three Musketeers

By Yue Minjun

Located in Calabasas, CA

Artist: Yue Minjun Title: The Three Musketeers Year: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Rives BFK paper, deckled edges Edition: 130; signed and numbered in pencil Sheet: 31 1/2 × 39 2/5 in...

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The Three Musketeers

Yue MinjunThe Three Musketeers, 2022

Sold

H 31.5 in W 39.25 in

The Three Musketeers

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Artist: Yue Minjun Title: The Three Musketeers Year: 2022 Medium: Screenprint on Rives BFK paper, deckled edges Edition: 130; signed and numbered in pencil Sheet: 31 1/2 × 39 2/5 in...

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Yue Minjun art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Yue Minjun art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, orange, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Yue Minjun in lithograph, copper, metal and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Yue Minjun art, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Alex Guofeng Cao, Wang Guangyi, and Ger Doornink. Yue Minjun art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,000 and tops out at $250,000, while the average work can sell for $9,320.

Artists Similar to Yue Minjun

Questions About Yue Minjun Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 15, 2024
    The Chinese Cynical Realism artists are a group of contemporary artists who emerged in the 1990s. Through their paintings and other work, they sought to comment on sociopolitical issues, such as Communism, industrialization and modernization. Some of the most well-known Chinese Cynical Realists include Fang Lijun, Liu Wei and Yue Minjun. On 1stDibs, explore a collection of Chinese paintings.