Widely renowned for his stark, social commentary, Yang Shaobin is a Chinese artist who depicts the plight faced by many at the hands of social and political rule. Shaobin’s roots lay within Cynical Realism, and many of his works – comprised of paintings, videos and art installations – feature haunting, distorted images of the average working man, often coal miners, highlighting his ties with this industry in which many of his own family worked. Early in his career, Shaobin’s paintings would employ a variety of striking colours, but his later works are comprised of plain, drab colours and the portraits of men seamlessly blend in with the background, highlighting the anonymity and insignificance (in the eyes of the ruling class) of the workers he championed. 800 Metres Below – a painting depicting the sub-standard working conditions of Chinese miners - is perhaps his most prominent work of this kind; while he takes care to paint his subjects with dignity, he also manages to highlight the extreme hazards they face at work, at the hands of the bosses who care not for their safety. (Artist website) Read Less