The visual foundation of Wang Mai's work is often grounded in the conversion of ancient and modern. Unlike his contemporaries, whose work was mainly rooted in socio-cultural and political issues, Wang Mai uses a variety of media, developed during a post-reform period in contemporary history. Matter is often drawn from the realms of science and science fiction. Communicating ideas about knowledge and education, social ideals, and technological advances, there are links that run parallel with that of Western society after the Industrial Revolution. Wang Mai in this way focuses attention on China’s participation in the "globalization" and "modernization" process. Another important feature of his work is literary, originating from the Chinese literati painting tradition, but also reaching further back from a philosophical point of view to produce parables which reflect on Chinese society at the time. He maintains a holistic world view and offers a unique prism through which to view Chinese art as a continuous process.

Wang Mai was born in Yichun, Heilongjiang Province in 1972. Wang Mai is widely regarded as a pioneer, and one of the most versatile and talented artists of his generation. Since the 1990s, he has worked with multiple media, varying from painting and poetry to performance and installation, using social ideologies to reflect on global issues. Drawing on aesthetics inherited from the past to form visions of the future, his cross-media method of working has been hugely influential on subsequent generations of artists in China. Wang Mai has lead both group, multi-media performance pieces, and uses installation work to voice broader concerns, such as “Petro-Monsters”, which comments on the global energy crisis.

This series is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz smart.