Watch now: 'Liu Xiaodong: SHAANBEI 改造二流子'

16 May 2023

Liu Xiaodong’s work is the result of direct observation of places of social change. Based in Beijing, he frequently travels the world to capture the subjects of his extraordinary paintings of modern life. As a student in the 1980s, Liu would take regular trips to the expansive Shaanbei region of China, keeping diaries and sketches of the mountainous area and the rural lands outside the city of Yan’an. The final stop on The Long March – Mao Zedong’s retreat and rise to power – and the effective birthplace of the People’s Republic of China, Shaanbei remains a site of considerable historical and political significance.

This film, produced by Liu Xiaodong studio and supported by Lisson Gallery, follows the artist on his return to Shaanbei as he prepares the works for his current exhibition at Lisson Gallery, New York. With his observational style and characteristic attention to detail, Liu captures the experience of a new generation driving the politics of tomorrow, while seeking out the places and people he drew more than 30 years prior.