” Beijing-based Yue Minjun is one of the most important artists of the Chinese avant garde movement, Cynical Realism. Minjun’s work is characterized by a signature laughing figure which serves as a portrait of the artist. Upon greater inspection the smiling faces contain fear, animosity, and a sense of discomfort that is a product of facing reality in contemporary times.”

Yang Zhenzhong (previously-blogged) <-- lives and works in Shanghai. His playful videos, installations and photographs are informed by the desire to challenge normative notions and fixed formats of social behaviour. His work has been shown at major international exhibitions, biennales and triennials in amongst others Rotterdam and London. (via V2)

“The Sydney born Painter Daniel O’Toole also known as ‘ears’ has been slowly but steadily creeping into the peripheral vision of the public, and recently has opened a gallery with Artists Max Berry and Jamie Nimmo called ‘Oh Really’. With a Background in graffiti and interest in fine art, Daniel served time at National Art School and has been exhibiting regularly since 2006.”

The New Flower Generation (above) and Improving Oneself (below) are installations by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho (via Pekin Fine Arts)

Photos sent by Andrea Rondina who ‘ ventured off to Long Beach, LA’s famous harbor city and home of Snoop Dogg. ‘ Thank you Dre and friends!!

” Rich deep colors aren’t achieved by applying solid color, but by blending a range of colors in your shadows and highlights. Add a bit of purple to your blues or yellow and orange to your browns to achieve richer, deeper pallets of color in your work. Even kids can create amazing works of art with the help of Rich Color Crayons. Each crayon has speckles of other colors to enhance each stroke with beautiful vibrant colors. ”

These photos belong to French photographer Estelle Hanania. When I look at these, I feel like there is a sort of serious freshness to them. Is it just me, or…? Check out the rest here.

The work of Spanish artist Rallito X puts a big smile on my face. A little bit creepy, a little bit awesome. Be sure to also check him out on Flickr. Enjoy!

Rado Javor is digital painter from UK. He has a thing for the classics, for moments and scenes from the past. These photos don’t do much justice so head over to his deviant art profile for the full view.

Liz Hickok is a San Francisco-based artist working in photography, video, sculpture, installation, and currently, Jell-O. Hickok received her Masters in Fine Arts from Mills College in Oakland, California. She earned a BFA and BA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. Hickok lived and worked in Boston for over ten years before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area.

” I create glowing, jellied scale models of urban sites, transforming ordinary physical surroundings into something unexpected and ephemeral. Lit from below, the molded shapes of the city blur into a jewel-like mosaic of luminous color and volume. The gelatinous material also evokes uncanny parallels with the geological uncertainties of San Francisco’s landscape. While the translucent beauty of the compositions first seduces the viewer, their fragility quickly becomes a metaphor for the transitory nature of human artifacts. ”