Ren Zhen Yu

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About the artwork

Using his unique abstract colour-blocking technique, Ren Zhen Yu brings a whole new level of expressionism rarely, if not, never seen before. All this without using a brush, but a mere palette knife. The Joker is known for his bright, clown-inspired make-up, but is usually considered a dark character. The artist displays his skilful use of colour in this painting, mixing both warm and cool toned colours to create a vibrant visual contrast, highlighting the duality of the character. The close-up portrait brings a very intimate perspective, and draws the viewer directly into the Joker’s aura, reflecting the in-depth portrayal of the character by Joaquin Phoenix in the 2019 feature film.

About the artist

Born in Tianjin in 1976, Ren Zhenyu graduated in 1999 from the Oil Painting Department at Tianjin Academy of Fine Art, where he currently works as a lecturer. His talent was recognized and appreciated by renowned galleries and distinguished collectors throughout China, and he achieved fame in Europe through his distinct portrait series of historical and political icons, such as Andy Warhol and Chairman Mao. In his works, Ren plays with a wide spectrum of colours that are juxtaposed to create a unique expressionist interpretation of famous faces and experiments with texture and layering built on to reinforce the portrayal of faces from different perspectives.