Guo Jian, Paradise Lost 失樂園, 2023. Acrylic on canvas, 200 x 447cm (2 panels). Courtesy: the artist and ARC ONE Gallery, Melbourne.

Guo Jian makes huge paintings. He has to. Their scale addresses the largeness of political and cultural artifice, where an acute sense of urgency quickly becomes apparent. Optimistically titled Our Lives are Full of Sunshine, this epic series represents the artist’s first exhibition of paintings in over a decade. These electrifying works portray an idealistic society that shies away from harsh realities, preferring to live in visions of beauty and nostalgia.

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