1980

Medium: woodblock print

DimensionsL 54.5 x 55.4 cm

By the end of 1977, Xu Bing had returned to Beijing and passed China's National Higher Education Entrance Examination, gaining admission to the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) and entering the department of printmaking. During that time, the department still had renowned woodblock print artists, Li Hua (1907-1994) and Gu Yuan (1919-1996) as instructors, who became important mentors for Xu Bing.

While at university, Xu Bing performed exceptionally well and once won first place in a student art competition. At the same time, he traveled to remote regions throughout China, immersing himself in the lives of the local people and capturing their daily experiences through realistic portraits.