LIU YAN
East Meets West
2008
acrylic on canvas
60 x 45 inches

In East Meets West, the two women shown are a juxtaposition of Chinese tradition and contemporary Chinese society, as well as the dichotomy of Eastern culture versus Western culture. Both express a conflict of desire, both through constraint and liberation. According to Liu Yan, "they appear magnificent and extravagant under the golden background, surrounded by decadent sentiments." The blue and white porcelain pot that the Chinese opera figure sits in, represents her unbroken Chinese purity. The Western woman, the punk character, symbolizes a watering of the Eastern woman, and liberating her desires.