Liu Wei (1965 Beijing) is a prominent figure in the Cynical Realism movement that arose after 1989. One of his best-known paintings, "New Generation" (1990), shows two children slouching in front of a large image of Mao. The boys have prematurely old faces, symbolizing the impact that the government has on people's lives. Since the 1990s, Liu has developed a semi-abstract style that demonstrates wide ranging influences including expressionism, Chinese calligraphy and ink-brush painting. Dogs or other animals, people, flowers and landscape typically melt and morph into unidentifiable shapes, which reflects Liu's belief that