NYAB Event - Zeng Jianyong "The Header"

Zeng Jianyong "The Header"

Klein Sun Gallery

This event has ended.

The Header series, a group of recent paintings by Zeng Jianyong, refers to a term used in the People's Republic of China to denote the head of the class-the top pupil, a child who not only earns good grades, but respects his or her elders and gets along well with others. The "header," held up as an example of all-around excellence, is something that Chinese children eagerly aspire to be. At the same time, the existence of this lauded position highlights how much cultural pressure there is to excel in both scholastic and social environments-pressure that can at times become harmful and oppressive. In more extreme cases, this pressure has led to depression and even suicide.