By LI YUE

There are many people today to whom the line between reality and illusion becomes increasingly blurred. Chinese painter Yang Yongsheng portrays this modern conflict in his art. His use of light and dark shades gives the illusion of light flowing into a scenario creating a poignant yet tranquil atmosphere.

Yang Yongsheng considers his paintings as a way of presenting reality in artistic language, and as a means of revealing an inner world. He questions the meaning of life by portrayals of sadness and melancholy that result from heavy social pressure in contemporary society. Sad Serenade pictures a man listening to music in an obvious attempt to transcend his workday angst in the evening. Love Season reflects the grief of a young woman at the end of her first failed love affair. Red depicts two apathetic women sitting on the same sofa. Yang indicates how today's rapidly developing economy leavesmany people feeling empty, isolated and drawn into their inner world.

Love Season (I), 115 x 170 cm.	Sad Serenade (II), 125 x 100 cm.
Sad Serenade (III), 125 x 100 cm.	Red (I), 195 x 170 cm.