The overall effect is of people who are trying to suppress their emotions in order to present an air of calm - yet they are betrayed by their hands; they are unable to conceal their hands.
O ne of the most instantly recognisable manifestations of Chinese contemporary art, Zeng Fanzhi’s era defining Mask Series launched the artist onto the global stage, and became synonymous with the modern, urban Chinese aesthetic. The 1990s was a pivotal decade for Chinese contemporary art and for the artist himself, moving away from his early German Expressionist tendencies that he experimented with at the Hubei Academy of Replica Handbags s (1987-1991) and moving towards the psychological Mask works from 1994. Created in 1994, Mask Series: No. 21 is a rare, mature work from the iconic series, while still being stylistically connected to his previous Meat and Hospital series.
Zeng’s renowned Mask Series powerfully expresses both the personal and universal anxieties related to the urban experience, using the mask motif to emphasize the dramatic tension between outward appearances and inner emotions. Most art historians trace the genesis of the series to his move from Wuhan to Beijing in 1993, met with the daunting task of making new friends in an unfamiliar world, and grappling with the new, capitalist-driven consumer culture that he found himself surrounded by in his new urban environment. In this way, Zeng’s Mask Series can be seen as a personal, visual articulation of his inner unease and disorientation in Beijing, with the mask perhaps symbolising both the perceived incinserity of the new acquaintances he made, and the need to put on a front to fit into this new environment.
Zeng’s representation of Western suits, as seen in Mask Series: No.21, were representative of a shifting mindset and cultural landscape within China’s cities, and a desire to open up to new ideas and embrace the advent of a new age. Beneath the glamorous suit and skirt, the exaggerated hands and exposed flesh reveal a sense of tension and vulnerability.
“In the mid-90s, China was transforming very fast. Chinese officials started wearing suits and tires…Everybody wanted to look good, but it also looked a bit fake. I felt they wanted to change themselves on the surface”
Instantly captivating in its isolated and theatrical stage-like setting, Mask Series: No.21 is quivering with suspenseful undercurrents that indicate deep, profound inner feelings and emotions.
「縱觀總體效果，試圖壓抑情感、故作冷靜的人卻被他們的手出賣了；他們無法隱藏自己的雙手。」
曾 梵志的《面具系列》是最爲人熟悉的中國當代藝術作品之一，亦是中國現代都市美學的代表。
曾梵志憑著這個系列一躍登上國際藝壇，備受各界矚目。對中國當代藝術和曾梵志自身而言，九十年代是關鍵的階段。當時，曾梵志逐漸脫離在湖北美術學院時期（1987-1991年）對德國表現主義方向的早期探索，轉向著重心理刻畫的《面具系列》，系列創作開始于1994年。《面具系列第21號》正是作於這一重要年份，是《面具系列》中極為少見、至臻成熟的作品，同時在風格上依然與他之前的《肉體》和《醫院》系列有所承接。
《面具系列》强烈地表達出都市生活中的個體和群體焦慮，以面具圖案來深化外表和內在情感兩者之間的戲劇張力。1993年，曾梵志從武漢搬到北京，他要學習在陌生環境中認識新朋友，也要應對資本主義下的消費文化，因而感受到巨大的壓力。大部分藝術史學家都從他這段經歷中去追尋「面具系列」的形成軌迹。曾梵志的《面具系列》可能是他對內在的不安與迷失的視覺表達，當中的面具象徵了虛僞——這是他在新交往關係中感受到的；也象徵了需要——要擺出一副假模樣來適應這個環境。
在曾梵志的《面具系列》中，他尤其著重蒙面主角的服飾。在《面具系列第21號》中對西裝的演繹正是代表了中國城市裡轉變中的思維方式和文化景觀，也代表了一種開放迎接新觀點的渴望，以及擁抱新時代來臨的渴望。在經濟改革的時代，中國迅速向西方消費主義、社會和文化理念敞開大門。除去光鮮的中產外殼，在社會內部仍然隱含著人們心理上的一絲焦慮和不確定感。在華麗的西裝和裙子下，人物誇張的手勢和裸露的肌膚透露出緊張和脆弱的感覺。
「1990年代中期，中國的變化十分迅猛。官員開始穿西裝、打領帶……每個人都希望有光鮮的外表，但却也顯得有點虛假。我覺得他們很想改變自己的外表。」
《面具系列第21號》無疑屬於藝術家筆下最精彩絕倫的作品，極富戲劇張力的場景令人頃刻間注目，畫中緩緩涌出充滿懸疑的暗流，讓內心深刻的情感油然而生。