I am interested in our awareness of what has happened, what is taking place, what will unfold; and our part in the process.
- Geng Jianyi

Human faces are a central theme to Geng Jianyi’s work. The faces evoke doubt and sincerity. The series of produced portraits also speak to Chinese viewer’s and the allusion to “the need to keep one’s face (mianzi), not reveal everything to the other person, a game similar to wearing and taking off a mask” (Slavkoff).

Geng’s conceptual platform is “ the principle of attack,” targeted at accepted norms of behavior, and his installations seek to represent the breakdown of these everyday rules and values. Geng’s works deal harshly with the viewer: it is as though a scab had been lifted, putting them in an uncomfortable and embarrassing situation (Hanart).

What sets Geng apart is his eclectic artworks and diversity of approaches. A common question Geng explores is: “what are those characteristics by which we recognize the world, and identify the signifiers without which we could not navigate ourselves through a day?” (Smith). His works seek to explore the boundaries of human identity through repetition and layering.