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Critics often refer to his art as having a childlike quality but that belies the intelligence of it and the understanding Dachun has of art history, not only that of his own culture, but many others. Talking to Dachun, it is clear that he is well versed and worked through years of trial and error to arrive at his unique style that borrows influence from the unlikely extremes of classical Chinese art to the Dada Movement. Not surprisingly, he cites artists like Arshile Gorky and Cy Twombly as having an impact on his early research.

Dachun’s work first came to public attention in the late 1990s with the introduction of a series of minimalist paintings that, like traditional Chinese brush works, allowed for ample white space around his often figurative subjects. The subjects, like those in Chinese People Are Really Great, 2002, are typically dressed in Qing Dynasty clothing and rendered in monochromatic shades with just a touch of color; again, drawing comparisons to ancient Chinese works.

But that is where the comparisons end. In addition to Qing Dynasty clothing, some subjects wear nothing at all and quite a few of Dachun’s characters are recognizable historical figures like Picasso or Hitler. Others have human bodies with animal heads. All are illustrated in exquisite detail and while many of the canvases have the appearance of drawings, they are predominantly oil paintings. Dachun has also used acrylic washes and teas to stain the surface, giving it an aged feeling and occasionally he will add pencil or even crayon lines.

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