Neo Rauch creates surreal figurative oil paintings with dreamlike interior spaces and strong narrative ambiguity, closely mirroring the whimsical yet conceptually layered qualities present in Liu Ye's work. Both artists use figuration within a contemporary framework to construct mysterious storytelling environments.

Peter Doig's oil paintings blend figurative imagery with a poetic, narrative mood and a sense of quiet strangeness that aligns with the whimsical and surreal interior atmosphere of The Second Story. His works similarly use paint as a medium for conceptual and emotional storytelling.

Tal R produces figurative paintings with a childlike yet sophisticated visual language full of narrative depth and whimsy, qualities that resonate strongly with Liu Ye's intimate and storybook inspired compositional sensibility. Both artists draw on playful imagery to convey layered conceptual meaning.