Plan C

91x61x3.8cm
oil on canvas, unframed

Liu's dramatic canvases, adorned with vibrant acrylics and impasto oils in a myriad of hues, exude lavishness that echoes the fantastical mythologies inspiring their subjects. Drawing inspiration from classical mythology, Liu pays homage to artistic traditions while reimagining these classical themes through a contemporary lens. Departing from strict realism, his daring twist in colour and vibrancy uncovers overlooked elements, deviating from the expected focal points. Notably, his artistic choice to remove the heads of figures in these scenes adds a thought-provoking dimension. Liu's work invites us to reconsider the timeless narratives with a fresh perspective, embracing the interplay between tradition and innovation.

He takes on traditions of nudity comes from the queer perspective of person of colour from a non-Western artistic tradition. His upbringing in China was full of shame about nudity, and the human body. For him, depicting bodies without heads both unveils, and depicts then simultaneously reduces that shame. Subsequently, his artistic choice to remove the heads of figures in these scenes to add a thought-provoking dimension' focussing on the taboos of nudity.