page_title: Portrayal of female bodies in Chinese contemporary art
section_title: "Opening of the Great Wall"
hierarchical_section_title: Portrayal of female bodies in Chinese contemporary art / Contemporary Portrayal of Women Bodies / Performance Arts / "Opening of the Great Wall"
caption_attribution_description: English: Your Body, fibreglass and paint, 270×160×150cm, 2002, Xiang Jing
context_page_description: Portrayal of female bodies in Chinese contemporary art has become a lot more diverse as women artists start to rise in China. Many contemporary Chinese women artists have employed the use of female bodies as the subject of their artworks. From the ancient and imperial period of China until early the 19th century, women's body images in Chinese art were predominantly portrayed through male artists' lenses. As a result, female bodies were often misrepresented. With the arrival of modernism in Chinese contemporary art, women now have more influences in the field of visual arts. Chinese women artists employ unconventional artistic expressions in order to speak about their experiences of being a female and an artist in a patriarchal society. Although the Chinese visual art field has been more inclusive in the recent decades, women artists’ representation in major art exhibitions is still significantly less than male artists. Therefore, artists and curators have made a joint effort to devote certain art exhibitions to just Chinese women artists.
context_section_description: In Opening of the Great Wall, He Chengyao presented her own naked body in a public space in 2001 and took a series of photographs of herself. The photographs documented her walking confidently with her upper body being nude. She held her bright red bra on her right hand and tied her sweater around the waist. She had a deadpan expression on her face and a confident posture as she walks toward the camera. The photo was taken on the Great Wall of China, which is one of the most popular scenic spots in Beijing, China.
  Despite the fact that she was surrounded by many curious tourists, He still maintained a confident look. She had also spontaneously joined in an installation by a male artist, H.A. Schult, which was exhibited on the Great Wall at the same time. Whether intended or not, she had made her appearance as a Chinese women artist in the mainstream of male art production. Furthermore, although her piece took place in 2001, women's nudity in public spaces was still considered taboo at the time.
caption: Your Body (2005, fiberglass & paint, 270×160×150cm) at The Saatchi Gallery, The Revolution Continues: New Art from China, 2008
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