Wang Guangyi’s Visa series grew out of his experiences in the 1990s, during which Chinese artists were increasingly invited to international exhibitions, but faced difficulty acquiring travel visas from foreign nations. Basic data such as name, sex, and place of birth are noted in the paintings to reference the dehumanizing process of applying for foreign travel visas, which simplify individuals into a series of traits to be granted or denied movement.

© Wang Guangyi, photo: Wang Guangyi Studio