YUE CHEN's profile

The Emperor’s New Clothes

The fox, the ostrich, the snake and the elephant are the main characters in the overconsumption of goods. I show their bloody bodies in contrast to their elaborate heads and decorations, showing the hidden cruelty of overconsumption.
This work uses traditional Chinese elements to illustrate modern consumption problem. With the improvement of the economic level, the role of bags has gradually shifted from practicability to decoration, even the symbol of identity. I use giant panda, Tibetan antelope and black necked Crane as the main characters of the picture, they are dressed in gorgeous clothes and compare with each other in contemporary luxury bags. This consumption mentality is undoubtedly best interpretation of over consumption.
Kingfisher is a very beautiful and endangered rare bird. As an illustrator who has studied Chinese traditional culture for a long time, I know that the reason why it is on the verge of extinction is related to the large use of "kingfisher" ornaments in the Qing Dynasty. A kingfisher can only obtain a few effective feathers, and a complete kingfisher headdress consumes hundreds of Kingfisher lives, which seems to be solidified in their ornaments. I want to map the phenomenon of contemporary over consumption through the discussion of the theme of kingfisher craft and the endangered Kingfisher, which to echo the theme of "emperor's new clothes".
I described a bustling market scene, combining traditional Chinese elements with Western luxury goods, which shows the cultural shock between and the West caused by business globalization. It aims to express the phenomenon of over consumption of culture. And I do a special treatment of gold tracing in texture, which will produce different visual effects under the refraction of light, so as to depict the social status of different characters.
The Emperor’s New Clothes
Published:

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Published: