About the artwork
This painting by Ren Zhen Yu depicts Mother Teresa, a remarkable nun and missionary who dedicated her life to helping the poor and destitute around the world. Ren’s expressionist work plays with textures and a wide spectrum of colours, mixing both warm and cool tones to create a vibrant visual contrast. The artist’s unique vision mixes contemporary perspectives together with the history and memories attached with this icon, and is a befitting tribute to a woman who was devoted to spreading compassion and uplifting others in the world.
About the artist
Born in Tianjin in 1976, Ren Zhenyu graduated in 1999 from the Oil Painting Department at Tianjin Academy of Fine Art, where he currently works as a lecturer. His talent was recognized and appreciated by renowned galleries and distinguished collectors throughout China, and he achieved fame in Europe through his distinct portrait series of historical and political icons, such as Andy Warhol and Chairman Mao. In his works, Ren plays with a wide spectrum of colours that are juxtaposed to create a unique expressionist interpretation of famous faces and experiments with texture and layering built on to reinforce the portrayal of faces from different perspectives.