Duke Ellington once said: "Certain artists are beyond category"&nbsp;and this is particularly true for New York-based artist Mickalene Thomas&nbsp;(b. 1971, New Jersey). An undeniable force within the contemporary art world, and an indispensable inspiration to a younger generation of artists, her innovative and playful practice has yielded instantly recognisable and widely celebrated aesthetic languages. Proclaiming and expanding the visibility of black women within the canon of Western art history is at the heart of Thomas’s practice, which she does by eloquently dissecting the intersecting complexities of Black and female sexuality, identity, power, and beauty. And she does it in the boldest ways possible: With sparkly rhinestones, jewel-tone acrylic paint, and a hodgepodge of retro prints, all on sprawling canvases that command attention. Often drawing on an eclectic roster of references, often blurring the distinction between object and subject, concrete and abstract, real and imaginary.&nbsp;Thomas has enjoyed solo exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum, the Bass Museum in Miami, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, among other institutions. At auction, Thomas’s work can command upwards of seven figures. Along with her fine-art practice, Thomas has shot for such publications as&nbsp;W,&nbsp;Out, and T:&nbsp;The New York Times Style Magazine. She has also constructed elaborate installations to showcase her works. She has also been awarded multiple prizes and grants, including the Pratt Institute Legends Award (2022), Rema Hort Mann Foundation 25th Anniversary Honoree (2022), Artistic Impact Award, Newark Museum (2022) and many more.

Mickalene Thomas

Mickalene Thomas is a contemporary artist celebrated for her powerful explorations of identity, femininity, and cultural heritage. Thomas was born and raised in New Jersey and currently resides and works in New York.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Mickalene_Thomas_Maya__Interior_Content_Sheet_compressed.pdf

The unapologetic&nbsp;Portrait of Maya #10&nbsp;(2024), originally conceived as a monumental 8-foot-tall artwork as part of the Broad Collection 2017, is a bold celebration of love and sexuality - conveying strength, beauty, power, and vulnerability all at once. Modes of intimate relations inform&nbsp;Portrait of Maya #10,&nbsp;drawing from a series of photographs&nbsp;(Remember Me,&nbsp;2006) taken with a 35mm disposable camera by Thomas. The images capture Maya, her muse and lover from years gone by, in their home and basement studio on Lexington Avenue, Brooklyn.&nbsp;&nbsp;The sensual Maya stands empowered, sparkled, and poised. With her arms raised behind her head like wings spread, she commands her outward gaze and her surroundings, exuding a powerful sense of self-possession through which she emboldens her viewers, forcing them to engage with her.&nbsp;&nbsp;Her work also celebrates the textures of materials just as she honours the textures and contours of Black womanhood. Drawn to the unconventional, she embraced rhinestones - first out of necessity and later in reference to French Impressionism, &nbsp;in particular Pointillism and the works of Georges Seurat. The rhinestones came to symbolise the complexity of femininity in her work, becoming a defining element of her artistic language. The acrylic and rhinestone composition in the original portrait, transformed into silkscreen overprints and hand-applied glitter in this edition, also embodies Thomas’s signature ability to apply several layers of material and symbolic meaning, unmasking our world of appearances into a single surface while challenging conventional boundaries of technique and medium.&nbsp;&nbsp;Collage is a foundational element in her practice, revealing the conception and intimate evolution of her artistic vision - visible also in the double exposure on Maya's chest. As Thomas described it, the projected image is almost like an X-ray, peering into Maya’s soul. By layering multiple photographs and juxtaposing painted with photographic elements, Thomas creates a striking depth of field, generating rhythm and movement.&nbsp;Unifying all these elements in this larger-than-life work, Thomas invites viewers into the bold and dynamic universe she has created in&nbsp;Portrait of Maya #10, from which any viewer would be unable to divert their gaze. &nbsp;

Portrait of Maya #10

ARTXX

UV pigment print on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper with 4 metallic silkscreen glitter and shimmer layers, a CMYK silkscreen central panel and matte varnish seal

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Mickalene_Thomas_Maya__Interior_Content_Sheet_compressed_JpTCgg4.pdf

Dimensions of the set: Portrait of Maya #10: 59.3 cm x 52.5 cm | 23.35&nbsp; x 20.67 in&nbsp;Interior: Red Couch and Landscape: 38 cm x 59.3 cm | 14.96 x 23.35 in Edition size:&nbsp;Portrait of Maya #10: Edition of 732 Interior: Red Couch and Landscape: Edition of 379 Medium: Portrait of Maya #10: UV pigment print on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper with 4 metallic silkscreen glitter and shimmer layers, a CMYK silkscreen central panel and matte varnish seal Interior: Red Couch and Landscape: UV pigment print on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper with 2 silkscreen metallic shimmer and glitter layers, 2 satin and gloss detail layers and a matte varnish silkscreen seal. A fusion of chic aesthetics and surrealism takes shape in this previously-unseen collage by Mickalene Thomas. Echoing the allure of vintage glossy magazines,&nbsp;Interior: Red Couch and Landscape&nbsp;(2024) is enriched with silkscreen layers of metallic shimmer, high-gloss and satin varnish, hand-applied glitter, and a matte seal, creating a dynamic interplay of textures.Collage is at the heart of Thomas’s artistic process, offering a glimpse into the development and intimate nuances of her creative vision. In this piece, the absence of human figures directs attention to the richly layered interior, where each detail invites closer exploration. The space is alive with bold patterns, shimmering embellishments, and a striking interplay of textures. From the nostalgic charm of the living room to the lush greenery beyond, the composition sparks the imagination, encouraging viewers to envision the untold stories embedded within Thomas’s meticulously curated world. The unapologetic&nbsp;Portrait of Maya #10 (2024), originally conceived as a monumental 8-foot-tall artwork as part of the Broad Collection 2017, is a bold celebration of love and sexuality - conveying strength, beauty, power, and vulnerability all at once. Modes of intimate relations inform&nbsp;Portrait of Maya #10,&nbsp;drawing from a series of photographs&nbsp;(Remember Me,&nbsp;2006) taken with a 35mm disposable camera by Thomas. The images capture Maya, her muse and lover from years gone by, in their home and basement studio on Lexington Avenue, Brooklyn.&nbsp;The sensual Maya stands empowered, sparkled, and poised. With her arms raised behind her head like wings spread, she commands her outward gaze and her surroundings, exuding a powerful sense of self-possession through which she emboldens her viewers, forcing them to engage with her.&nbsp;Her work also celebrates the textures of materials just as she honours the textures and contours of Black womanhood. Drawn to the unconventional, she embraced rhinestones - first out of necessity and later in reference to French Impressionism, particularly Georges Seurat and Pointillism. The rhinestones came to symbolise the complexity of femininity in her work, becoming a defining element of her artistic language. The acrylic and rhinestone composition in the original portrait, transformed into silkscreen overprints and hand-applied glitter in this edition, also embodies Thomas’s signature ability to apply several layers of material and symbolic meaning, unmasking our world of appearances into a single surface while challenging conventional boundaries of technique and medium.&nbsp;Collage is a foundational element in her practice, revealing the conception and intimate evolution of her artistic vision - visible also in the double exposure on Maya's chest. As Thomas described it, the projected image is almost like an X-ray, peering into Maya’s soul. By layering multiple photographs and juxtaposing painted with photographic elements, Thomas creates a striking depth of field, generating rhythm and movement.Unifying all these elements in this larger-than-life work, Thomas invites viewers into the bold and dynamic universe she has created in&nbsp;Portrait of Maya #10, from which any viewer would be unable to divert their gaze. &nbsp;

Maya & Interior (Set of Two)

Silkscreen

Alex Katz (American, born 1927) is the outstanding protagonist of figurative painting and one of our era's most acclaimed artists. In the late 1950s, the artist began to develop his mature style, characterised by elegance, simplicity, and stylised abstraction, which typifies his entire production. Alex Katz’s paintings are the result of a transformation of the three-dimensional world into simplified landscapes and portraits. He chooses to minimize details and shading and to present bold contours and blocks of colour. Indeed, Alex Katz’s art captures appearances and transposes them into paintings. Alex Katz’s portraits feature his own social milieu – friends, fellow artists, and most notably his wife Ada, whom he has painted more than 200 times. The artist’s quest to represent the experience of spectatorship is reflected in his portraits, also in his large landscapes, which he characterises as “environmental”. In his continued experimentation with different media, the artist creates what he calls “cut-outs”, freestanding sculptures that blur the line between painting and object. Back in 1965, Katz began experimenting with printmaking, which became a key aspect of his artistic practice. Alex Katz’s prints, which vary from lithographs, etchings, and silkscreens to linoleum cuts, have been exhibited in major museums, such as the Albertina Museum in Vienna, which, in 2010, showed a retrospective survey of over 150 graphic works, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in an exhibition in 2012. The transposition of his notable paintings into prints allows Alex Katz to make his art more accessible to his collectors, thereby maintaining the same allure and stylish power as his painted works.

Alex Katz

With flat planes of rich, lovely color, Alex Katz’s landscapes and portraits evoke the smooth aesthetics of advertising billboards and film.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Alex_Katz_White_Roses_Content_Sheet.pdf

White Roses (2014) belongs to Alex Katz’s renowned flower paintings. Throughout his career, Katz has repeatedly explored the aesthetics of flowers such as flags, tulips, and roses, using them as a lens to study light, colour, and form.&nbsp;In this composition, he captures the interplay of natural light and delicate volume, allowing the radiant white petals to glow vividly against a boundless blue backdrop. The work seems to breathe nature itself, evoking a serene and immersive presence. Inspired by everyday motifs, Katz’s floral paintings are among his most cherished explorations of the natural world.

White Roses

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Alex_Katz_Yellow_Tulips_Content_Sheet.pdf

Yellow Tulips (2014) is part of the famous flower paintings by Alex Katz. The aesthetics of flowers such as flags, tulips, and roses have been continuously explored by the artist throughout his career. Katz has been painting flowers since the 1960s, often during his summer residencies in Maine. The cropped, flattened composition displays a debt to Japanese woodblock art printing.&nbsp;The American artist is well-known for his large paintings, whose bold simplicity and unmodulated colours are now seen as precursors of Pop Art. Yellow Tulips is another of Katz's wonderfully bright explorations of nature and the landscape. He represents the volumes and colours created by the natural light, this artwork breathes nature, and the radiant yellow delights the vision against the limitless black background. The painting Tulips 4 (2013) which this edition is based on belongs to the Collection of Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Yellow Tulips

Weng Fine Art

15-color silkscreen on 4-ply museum board

Ai Weiwei (b. 1957, Beijing) is one of the most influential artists and provocateurs of our time. He is celebrated for blending Chinese history and tradition with artistic expression and political activism, all within a wholly contemporary practice. Beyond traditional mediums, his artistic work extends to architecture, documentary filmmaking, and large-scale public installations, each serving as a form of human rights activism, cultural commentary, and critiques of the global imbalance of power.&nbsp;Born into exile due to his father’s political persecution, Ai Weiwei's early life was marked by hardship, shaping his lifelong commitment to questioning authority. This commitment has often made him a political target in the past. He studied at the Beijing Film Academy before moving to New York in the 1980s, where he was influenced by conceptual art and artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol. Returning to China in the 1990s, Ai Weiwei emerged as a key figure in contemporary Chinese art while also co-founding independent art spaces and experimenting with radical forms of artistic expression. After years of surveillance and restrictions, he was eventually allowed to leave China in 2015 and has since lived in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Portugal.&nbsp;Ai Weiwei gained international recognition through powerful works such as Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn (1995), Sunflower Seeds (2010), Neolithic Vase with Coca Cola Logo (Gold) (2015), Illumination (2019), and Straight (2008–2012), a poignant memorial to the victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Ai Weiwei’s works are held in major museums worldwide and have been exhibited in leading institutions such as Tate Modern, the Royal Academy of Arts, and the Venice Biennale. His relentless pursuit of truth and justice, coupled with his innovative artistic vision, continues to inspire global audiences and redefine the role of art in society. As Ai Weiwei himself asserts, “Everything is art. Everything is politics.”

Ai Weiwei

Dissident artist Ai Weiwei is famous for conceptual artworks that challenge authority and explore the links between the contemporary world and traditional Chinese culture.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Ai_Weiwei_Papercut_Portfolio_Content_sheet_compressed_2.pdf

The Papercut Portfolio (2019) by Ai Weiwei is a striking fusion of traditional Chinese craftsmanship and contemporary political commentary. This limited-edition collection consists of eight intricately designed papercuts, each reflecting pivotal moments from Ai Weiwei’s artistic and political journey. Inspired by the centuries-old Chinese tradition of papercutting — historically used for storytelling, decoration, and spiritual symbolism — Ai Weiwei transforms the medium into a bold visual narrative. Rendered in large-format, vibrant red fine-art paper, the works encapsulate themes from his early days in New York in the 1980s, his engagement with Chinese heritage upon returning to Beijing in the 1990s, and his later activism confronting censorship and state control.Accompanied by explanatory notes from writer Chin-Chin Yap, the portfolio offers an intimate glimpse into Ai Weiwei’s evolving artistic practice. The works feature iconic motifs from his career, including the Bird’s Nest stadium, his Study of Perspective (1995–2003) middle-finger gesture, and references to politically charged installations such as Sunflower Seeds (2010) and Map of China (2003). Through this medium, Ai Weiwei juxtaposes themes of displacement, resistance, and cultural identity, reinforcing his belief that art is a form of free expression and social responsibility. The Papercut Portfolio serves as both a retrospective of Ai Weiwei’s groundbreaking work and a powerful statement on the intersection of art, politics, and human rights.

The Papercut Portfolio

Papercuts in clothbound clamshell box (Portfolio of 8)

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Ai_Weiwei_Study_of_Perspective_in_Glass_with_sets_sBSSUSs.pdf

At the core of his production, Ai Weiwei investigates and questions institutions and regimes by measuring human existence in relation to economic, political, and social forces.&nbsp;The middle finger has been a recurrent theme in his artistic oeuvre. His photographic series Study of Perspective (shot from 1995 to 2003) shows the artist flipping the middle finger in front of iconic landmarks across the globe. The gesture represents a universal and concise statement of political opposition and the rejection of any form of oppression against human freedom.&nbsp;This iconic gesture has been translated into an equally iconic Murano glass sculpture, and the result is a powerful yet elegant object. The sculpture, made from the artist's own handcast, embodies the deep and engaged message of Study of Perspective while meeting the glass' airy and light qualities, consequently producing a rare effect of beauty and mystic power.

Study of Perspective in Glass (Set of 6)

Murano Glass Casting

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Ai_Weiwei_Study_of_Perspective_in_Glass_set_waS6Nm0.pdf

At the core of his production, Ai Weiwei investigates and questions institutions and regimes by measuring the human existence and human condition in relation to economic, political, and social forces.&nbsp;The middle finger has been a recurrent theme in his artistic oeuvre. His photographic series Study of Perspective (shot from 1995 — 2003) shows the artist flipping the middle finger in front of iconic landmarks across the globe. The gesture represents a universal and concise statement of political opposition and the rejection of any form of oppression against human freedom.&nbsp;This iconic gesture has been translated into an equally iconic Murano glass sculpture, and the result is a powerful yet elegant object. Murano glass, known for its centuries-old craftsmanship and artistic excellence, holds historical significance as a material associated with both fragility and resilience — qualities that parallel Ai Weiwei’s ongoing dialogue on freedom and resistance. The delicate yet bold nature of Murano glass enhances the tension between defiance and vulnerability in Study of Perspective in Glass (2020), reinforcing the artist’s vision through a material that is both ancient and contemporary. The sculpture, made from the artist's own hand-cast, embodies the deep and engaging message of Study of Perspective while meeting the glass' airy and light qualities, consequently producing a rare effect of beauty.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Ai_Weiwei_Vases_in_five_colours_Content_Sheet_iehNeLI.pdf

Ai Weiwei’s Vases in Five Colours (2024) continues the artist’s long-standing interrogation of cultural identity, commercialisation, and artistic heritage. This series of five Murano glass vases—rendered in blue, green, mustard, black, and white—pays homage to traditional Chinese ceramics while embedding them within a globalised context. The vibrant hues reference ancient Chinese glazes, yet their sleek, translucent surfaces betray a contemporary sensibility. By employing Murano glass, a material deeply tied to Venetian craftsmanship, Ai Weiwei merges two artistic traditions, challenging notions of authenticity and ownership. The interplay between the artisanal and the mass-produced echoes his broader critique of cultural commodification and the impact of Western capitalism on Chinese heritage.&nbsp;These vases are more than decorative objects; they are vessels of contradiction. The Coca-Cola emblem, a ubiquitous symbol of consumer culture, disrupts the historical reverence associated with ceramic traditions, much like Ai Weiwei’s earlier works starting in 1994, where he painted the logo onto 2,000-year-old Han-dynasty urns. His works such as Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn (1995) and Han Jar Overpainted with Coca-Cola Logo (1995) are iconic examples of how he provocatively addresses China's historical confrontation with Western influences. Here, however, the medium itself shifts the conversation. The fragility of glass contrasts with the permanence of branding, suggesting both the resilience and vulnerability of cultural identity in an increasingly homogenized world.

Vases in Black and White (Set of 2)

Murano Glass

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Ai_Weiwei_Guardian_Content_sheet-compressed.pdf

Ai Weiwei’s Guardian (2024) was created using an innovative technique that mimics the tactile qualities of ceramic tiles or cast concrete through silkscreen printing. The process begins with a gold ink base, densely packed with metallic pigment and glitter, which is then layered with vibrant red ink. This method produces a striking visual effect, where intricate illustrations emerge through negative space.The artwork is a compelling fusion of traditional Chinese symbolism and contemporary socio-political commentary. Ai Weiwei depicts himself as a Door God, a powerful figure in Chinese folklore believed to protect homes from harmful forces. By intertwining his personal narrative with cultural heritage, he reimagines this divine guardian as a defender against the adversaries of art and justice—censorship, propaganda, corruption, and surveillance.The colour palette carries deep significance: red and gold, emblematic of good fortune and prosperity in Chinese culture, also evoke themes of justice and revolution. Through Guardian, Ai Weiwei continues his tradition of using art as a form of resistance, seamlessly blending ancient symbols with modern struggles. Like much of his oeuvre, this piece serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for truth and justice, making it especially resonant in today’s socio-political landscape.

Guardian

2 colour silkscreen with a metallic glitter base layer, printed on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Ai_Weiwei_Wo_ist_die_Revolution_Content_Sheet_compressed_1.pdf

For his major exhibition "Everything is Art. Everything is Politics" took place from May 18 to September 1, 2019, at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Ai Weiwei has created a new photographic self-portrait in which he confronts the viewer head-on. The reference to Joseph Beuys’ famous 1971 poster La Rivoluzione Siamo Noi is a clear homage to a kindred spirit—but it also highlights a fundamental difference in the political consciousness of their times.&nbsp;While Beuys’ slogan (translated as “we are the revolution”) is rooted in the conviction that art can bring about revolutionary change, Ai Weiwei’s question ‘Where’s the revolution?’ is almost ironic, shaped by the political pragmatism of an activist persecuted during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Yet this does not diminish the optimism of the image: this man is searching, he is on a journey — something Ai Weiwei continues to demonstrate through his multifaceted work. The work is based on Ai Weiwei´s life-size proportions, making his confident stride towards the viewer all the more powerful, as if ready to dynamically step out of the image, in a confrontational way but also encouraging the viewer to join him towards a revolution.

Wo ist die Revolution?

Inkjet print

Jia Aili is a Chinese contemporary artist born in 1979 in Liaoning province, China.&nbsp;His pieces feature the dark side of human progress and warfare, including symbols like&nbsp;gas masks,&nbsp;industrial waste, the&nbsp;hammer and sickle sign, and&nbsp;mushroom clouds. However, his captivating sci-fi style reveals also a certain admiration for these&nbsp;design and engineering feats - a contradiction that lies at the heart of his art, showcasing the existential duality of ugliness and beauty, threats and hopes.&nbsp;Renowned for his&nbsp;oil paintings, the artist employs a striking palette akin to Caravaggio's chiaroscuro, with contrasting dark tones and vibrant white strokes.&nbsp;Jia Aili is represented by&nbsp;Gagosian and has had several solo exhibitions since his graduation in 2004.

Jia Aili

Jia Aili is a Chinese contemporary artist born in 1979 in Liaoning province, China. His pieces feature the dark side of human progress and warfare, including symbols like&nbsp;gas masks,&nbsp;industrial waste, the&nbsp;hammer and sickle sign, and&nbsp;mushroom clouds.&nbsp;

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Jia_Aili_Engine_Mountain_Hermit_Content_sheet_2024_NEW_BRANDING_hYninNo.pdf

This iconic artwork series fully encapsulates and reflects the main themes and masterful work of this incredible artist.&nbsp;The very elements that have characterised his impressive career create a true&nbsp;immersive experience, where Aili's post-apocalyptic vision comes to life in all its&nbsp;evocative power.&nbsp;In this deep dark submersion, the viewer can almost&nbsp;feel the cold, the&nbsp;humidity of the air, and the&nbsp;isolation.&nbsp;The hefty atmosphere weighs on the audience like an eerie omen.&nbsp;

Engine

HI-RND© print on paper. Floating Alu frame.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Jia_Aili_Engine_Mountain_Hermit_Content_sheet_2024_NEW_BRANDING.pdf

Hermit

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Jia_Aili_Engine_Mountain_Content_sheet_2024_aBQvdLJ.pdf

This iconic artwork series fully encapsulates and reflects the main themes and masterful work of this incredible artist.&nbsp;&nbsp;The very elements that have characterised his impressive career create a truly&nbsp;immersive experience, where Aili's post-apocalyptic vision comes to life in all its&nbsp;evocative power.&nbsp;&nbsp;In this deep dark submersion, the viewer can almost&nbsp;feel the cold, the&nbsp;humidity of the air, and the&nbsp;isolation.&nbsp;The hefty atmosphere weighs on the audience like an eerie omen.&nbsp;

Snow Mountain

Douglas Gordon is a Scottish artist born in Glasgow in 1966.

Having begun his career as a performance artist, he has later embraced a variety of different mediums and disciplines. The result is a diverse body of works, which has grown to include video, sound photographic objects and texts aimed at teasing viewers’ perceptions, memories and expectations.

After winning the prestigious Turner Prize in 1996, Gordon represented Great Britain at the 1997 Venice Biennale. One year later, in 1998, he won the Hugo Boss Prize, awarded annually by the Guggenheim Museum to an exceptional emerging or mid-career artist. Whether in the form of film, performance, video installation, sculpture, photography, or conceptual text, his production explores such themes as time, identity, self-image, and mortality, as well as darkness, power, collective memory, or morality. Using literature, folklore, and iconic Hollywood films in addition to his own footage, drawings, and writings, he distorts time and language in order to disorient and challenge.

Douglas Gordon

Throughout his diverse practice—spanning photography, video, performance, sound, and text-based work—Douglas Gordon recontextualizes familiar images and artworks, distorting time, language, and other aesthetic aspects to challenge viewers’ perception, expectation, and memory.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Douglas_Gordon_Portrait_of_a_Self_Portrait_of_a_Self_Content_sheet_NEW_BRANDING_Compress_8veHm6y.pdf

Icons of the artist’s oeuvre are his Self-Portraits, where Gordon uses real flames to erode Hollywood paradigmatic figures, such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and James Dean. The fire corrodes specific elements of the represented characters, such as the eyes, noses and mouths. The remain untouched parts are then assembled on reflective, mirror-like surfaces, which denote Gordon’s interest in phenomenological experiences. The resulting surfaces details are the most compelling elements of these editions, where solidified drops meet the burnt areas, in a ambiguous encounter of elements. In an interview given to The Talks, Gordon jokingly admitted that he set his jeans on fire by accident during one of these burning sessions at Gagosian's in New York.

Portrait of a Self Portrait of a Self, as Marilyn

Print on canvas, inner frame, Dibond backplate

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Ai_Weiwei_After_Les_Nuages_Content_Sheet_xA5AfrV.pdf

Ai Weiwei’s highly anticipated three-dimensional print&nbsp;After Les Nuages&nbsp;(2024) is a reinterpretation of the artist’s iconic work&nbsp;Water Lilies #1 (2022) and marks the&nbsp;next major publishing highlight by Weng Contemporary&nbsp;in collaboration with Ai Weiwei and David Adamson. The spectacular&nbsp;Water Lilies #1&nbsp;(2022), which measures an impressive 15 meters, is the&nbsp;largest LEGO® work ever made&nbsp;and comprises 650,000 LEGO® bricks in 22 vivid colours. The triptych is a reinterpretation of Claude Monet's iconic&nbsp;Water Lilies&nbsp;(1914–1926). Much like an&nbsp;Impressionist painting, the beauty of Ai Weiwei’s masterpiece is fully revealed when viewed from a certain distance. The differently coloured LEGO® bricks serve as&nbsp;brushstrokes, similar to those used by the Impressionist Masters to capture the light and vibrancy of the world around them. This is no mere homage however, but a sophisticated dialogue between Monet’s monumental triptych&nbsp;Water Lilies&nbsp;and Ai Weiwei's own experiences, especially his formative childhood years spent with his father Ai Qing in a Chinese work camp in the Xinjiang province. This narrative is unlocked in the unsettling dark portal on the right which disrupts the familiar and tranquil beauty of the lily ponds at Monet's home in Giverny. Monet’s painting is woven into Ai Weiwei’s gripping life story to re-emerge as a confrontation with the systematic suppression of the freedom of speech, censorship, government surveillance, and imprisonment.&nbsp;By recreating these iconic paintings with LEGO® bricks,&nbsp; - a universal symbol of creativity and play -&nbsp; Ai Weiwei connects the legacy of Monet’s groundbreaking work with his own&nbsp;activism and critique of authority. The combination of these influences elevates the piece from a mere tribute to Monet’s&nbsp;Water Lilies to a&nbsp;multilayered narrative of immense beauty, grief, and reflection on the importance of artistic freedom in society, that is at once playful and imposing. &nbsp;Limited to a series of 14 prints,&nbsp;After Les Nuages stands as a masterpiece poised to become a cornerstone for contemporary collectors. Produced through an intricate printing process with&nbsp;40 layers of ink&nbsp;on aluminium Dibond, the work reflects the&nbsp;unique texture and structural essence of LEGO® bricks without replicating its physical form. To capture the sheer scale and force of&nbsp;Monet's triptych Water Lilies,&nbsp; the monumental&nbsp;After Les Nuages was also innovatively divided into three separate panels, with each panel having the option to be hung separately. This union of visionary artistry and cutting-edge technology positions&nbsp;After Les Nuages as one of Ai Weiwei’s most iconic and technologically sophisticated artworks to only gain value over time. *Please note that the price is subject to change at any time.

After Les Nuages

40 Layers Ink Relief Printing on Aluminum Dibond Backplate

One of the most renowned contemporary artists, Peter Doig, who was born in 1959, in Scotland, was the central figure in the revival of painting in the contemporary art scene during the '90s. At present his oneiric landscapes are highly sought after by world-leading collectors and museums.

After a childhood spent in Trinidad and Canada, Doig only returned to Great Britain at the age of twenty in order to study art. He was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1994, which cemented his public recognition. Themes of magical realism are recurrent through Peter Doig’s paintings, capturing timeless moments of perfect tranquillity. Doig´s dreamlike depictions are often scattered with ghostly human traces in a sensuous palette.

Many of Doig's artworks are depicting landscapes, layered formally and conceptually, somewhat abstract, with a number harking back to the snowy scenes of his childhood lived in Canada. While his works are frequently based on found images (photographs, newspaper clippings, movie scenes, record album covers), they are not painted in a photorealistic. Doig instead uses the photographs simply for reference.
The canoes have become an inspiring image throughout his work; their reflection in the water is a fantasy mirror to the unknown. This inventive style, sensuous palette, and suggestive imagery are also maintained in Peter Doig’s prints through the mastery use of different printmaking techniques. Peter Doig is one of a number of pioneering contemporary figurative artists, and recent major solo exhibitions have been staged at institutional venues, including Fondation Beyeler, Basel; National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montreal; Gallery Met at the Metropolitan Opera, New York; and Tate Britain, London. His auction record on the painting Rosedale, created in 1991 sold for over $28 million at Phillips New York in May 2017.

Art critic Jonathan Jones said about Doig: "Amid all the nonsense, impostors, rhetorical bullshit and sheer trash that pass for art in the 21st century, Doig is a jewel of genuine imagination, sincere work and humble creativity."

Peter Doig

Peter Doig’s serene, fantastical paintings feature kaleidoscope landscapes punctuated by enigmatic, partially obscured figures.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Peter_Doig_The_Zermatt_Series_Content_Sheet_yZQTT4I.pdf

Marking Peter Doig’s first return to snowscapes since the 1990s, the "Zermatt Series" consists of six limited-edition Giclée prints on Cotton Smooth Rag. This thematic body of work was conceived in 2018, when Doig’s friend, Swiss architect and artist Heinz Julen, offered him his chalet in the idyllic ski town as inspiration to capture the surrounding scenes. Conceptually inspired by vintage ski posters designed to promote tourism to the mountains, the collection features dynamic skiers set against majestic, snow-covered landscapes—simple yet captivating and energetic. These characteristics prompted Doig to create his own series of painted posters.Relying solely on his memory to recreate images inspired by his experiences in Zermatt, Doig drew from a wide range of influences – the town’s deep religious traditions, the perilous nature of its landscapes, and his own memories of skiing and the slopes. Additionally, his perception of the resort town was shaped by Derek Walcott’s evocative descriptions of Zermatt in his 2006 poem series "Prodigal". The six Zermatt paintings, which Doig considers the most 'poster-like' in both size and appearance, have been translated into prints.

The Zermatt Series (Portfolio of 6)

Giclée Print on Cotton Smooth Rag

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Ai_Weiwei_Vases_in_five_colours_Content_Sheet_D6pCOu3.pdf

Vases in Five Colours (Set of 5)

Jeff Koons (born 1955) playfully tests the boundaries of commerce, celebrity, banality, and pleasure. He rose to prominence in the mid-1980s as part of a generation of artists who explored the meaning of art in a media-saturated era. Koons turns banal commercial or everyday objects into art icons by using seductive materials, a shift of scale, and a contextual displacement. Jeff Koons’s “Balloon Dog” (featuring his enormous iconic chromium stainless steel dogs); his large-scale vinyl “Inflatables”; or the giant “Split-Rocker” all follow this principle. For instance, Jeff Koons in “Puppy” engaged the past and the present, referencing the eighteenth-century formal garden, while adding the most sugary of iconography. Originally licensed as a commodities broker, Koons decided to become an artist in the late 1970s and moved from Wall Street into a factory-like studio in SoHo with hundreds of assistants. Since then, he has produced different iconic series, like the “Pre-New”, a series of domestic objects in strange new configurations, and “The Equilibrium” series, consisting of basketballs floating in distilled water tanks. The “Banality” series, which includes Jeff Koons´s “Michael Jackson and Bubbles” and “Woman in Tub”, among others, is characterized by oddly eroticized, comic, and kitsch images. However, it is indeed Koons’s “Made in Heaven” series that is his most provocative and controversial work, in which he examines the place of sexuality in visual culture. Koons is widely regarded as one of the most important, influential, and controversial contemporary artists. He constantly tests the boundaries between art and commerce, high culture and mass culture, ready-made and art objects, by decontextualizing his objects and lifting them to iconic status. Jeff Koons´s art is the result of his intention to bring it out of the enclave of the genius-driven artist into the realms of contemporary pop and commerce-driven culture.

Jeff Koons

One of the most famous artists working today, Jeff Koons makes gleeful, tongue-in-cheek sculptures, paintings, and installations that border—and often cross—the edge of good taste.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Jeff_Koons_Balloon_Dog_Blue_Content_Sheet_2024.pdf

This most iconic artwork series of the 21st century is a reproduction of the larger sculpture of the Balloon Dog from the Celebration series (1994-2000), as conceived in five unique colours (Blue, Magenta, Yellow, Orange, Red).The magic attraction of Balloon Dog lies in its ability to convey charm, power and material precision at once. Its equestrian shape resembles the heroic statuary trope that populates public spaces across the globe. Koons himself called this piece the "Trojan horse“ of the Celebration series.The Balloon Dog has chameleon-like qualities; its reflective surface is capable of physically changing with its surroundings and its many-layered meanings make it conceptually change in the mind of each viewer.The production of this artwork requires 60 people and takes a full month to complete. Its fashioning combines traditional porcelain decoration techniques with new technologies which are not typically applied to ceramics; this combination allows to achieve its specific metallic and reflective characteristics.Each piece is signed on the inside front right leg and the signature is applied on top of the porcelain and fired in the oven.

Balloon Dog (Blue)

Limoges porcelain with chromatic coating

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