Xue Song, B. 1965 COCA COLA signed in Chinese; signed, titled in Chinese and dated 2005 on the re

Xue Song, B. 1965 COCA COLA signed in Chinese; signed, titled in Chinese and dated 2005 on the reverse acrylic, ink and charred printed paper collage on canvas 60 by 50cm.; 23.5 by 19.75in. Provenance Private Collection, Europe Basing his paintings on iconic depictions of popular culture such as Marilyn Monroe, Mao or in the present example, a Coca-Cola Bottle, Xue Song is able to explore various aspects of modern Chinese culture. Using a unique collage technique that combines soot and ash with Chinese calligraphy and painting, the artists work becomes a site for remembrance and nostalgia. Since Xues studio burnt down in the early 1990s and tragically destroyed all the works within, he uses his work to revisit and remember the event through the inclusion of fragments of the paper with burnt edges, charred textiles and soot. For him, his work therefore serves as a reminder of fate and a symbol of rebirth.