Jia Aili

Book excerpt: The work of the Chinese artist Jia Aili (*1979 in Liaoning) possesses an unparalleled intensity. Whether reflecting on China's inauguration of the atomic bomb or the first satellites in 1970, the theme of Aili's oil paintings is the dramatic transformation of Chinese society over the past 50 years. The works simultaneously also convey a feeling of wonderment and fascination for the achievements and new possibilities that technological progress offers. It is a feeling Aili has particularly developed in his apocalyptic-seeming desert landscapes, which only allow space for isolated masked figures, usually astronauts. The monograph documents Aili's exhibitions over the past 10 years and shows the young Chinese artist's disparate sources of inspiration with the aid of discussions of individual works.