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Liu Ye — Banned Book No. 5 (Balthus Variation)
Liu Ye

Banned Book No. 5 (Balthus Variation)

2019

A figure in a dark blue garment is depicted in a prone, crawling position against a deep teal wall, rendered in acrylic with precise modeling and restrained color. The composition employs sharp tonal contrasts between the figure's pale skin, dark hair and clothing, and the austere background, creating an atmosphere of psychological tension. A small book lies on the floor near the figure's outstretched hand, introducing narrative ambiguity into the carefully constructed scene. The work demonstrates meticulous control of light and shadow, with the figure's form emerging from the cool, monochromatic ground with sculptural solidity. The painting combines realist figuration with an unsettling emotional register, inviting contemplation of constraint, vulnerability, and intellectual suppression.

Medium
Acrylic on canvas mounted on wood panel
Dimensions
Location
David Zwirner 69th Street, New York, NY

Notes

From the exhibition 'Set in Stone' at David Zwirner 69th Street, NYC, May 12 to June 26, 2026, in collaboration with Galerie Kugel, Paris. Tombstone date: 2019-2020. Exhibition Only (not for sale at this show).

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About this work

Liu Ye, Banned Book No. 5 (Balthus Variation), 2019

A figure in a dark blue garment is depicted in a prone, crawling position against a deep teal wall, rendered in acrylic with precise modeling and restrained color. The composition employs sharp tonal contrasts between the figure's pale skin, dark hair and clothing, and the austere background, creating an atmosphere of psychological tension. A small book lies on the floor near the figure's outstretched hand, introducing narrative ambiguity into the carefully constructed scene. The work demonstrates meticulous control of light and shadow, with the figure's form emerging from the cool, monochromatic ground with sculptural solidity. The painting combines realist figuration with an unsettling emotional register, inviting contemplation of constraint, vulnerability, and intellectual suppression.

Medium
Acrylic on canvas mounted on wood panel
Dimensions
83 x 103 cm
Year
2019
Seen at
Adler Beatty, New York, NY

Related themes

Figure Study, Book Symbolism, Institutional Critique, Human Vulnerability, Interior Scene, Acrylic On Canvas, Chinese Artist, Monochromatic Ground, Cool Palette, Conceptual Figuration, Sculptural Form, Tonal Realism, Figurative Art, Contemporary Painting, 21st Century Art, Narrative Painting, Psychological Tension, Minimalist Composition, Dark Blue, Contemporary Realism

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