The 2008 beijing mahjony game oil painting

No matter what she is looking for, her worrisome expression shows that she is weak and not sure about the next step. Therefore, to a certain extent, this indicates that the advantages of ci-devant colonists are missing. In addition, scrupulous viewers may find that the well-dressed American lady does not wear a pant nor has any cloth to cover her private part. Besides, the heavy sky outside the room is a metaphor showing that there will be a thundershower or a windstorm quickly which may change the world pattern.

The river outside the room may be a sign representing Taiwan Strait or the Pacific Chloe, No matter where it represents, it means that China and America may have conflicts. When connecting the conflicts with the Mahjong game, it may be reasonable to think that the gambling in the Mahjong table is the reflection of the gambling of these countries in the world.

Therefore, if the American lady can win the Mahjong gambling, she can maintain her dominant position in the world. However, is she possible to win? As shown by the painting, the probability of winning is low. The reasons are as follows: firstly, they are playing Chinese Mahjong in a Chinese room. That is to say, Chinese people dominate the rules of the game and enjoy the advantage of home field.

Secondly, as shown by the painting, the Russian lady the girl who lay flatly is helping the Chinese lady to switch the tile in the sly. With the help of Russian, the Chinese lady is more likely to win. Therefore, the heavy storm may change the previous world pattern. After the heavy storm, china, the previous colonized country, may make its mark and subvert the traditional Euro-centred world pattern.

In a word, through using a large number of signs, codes and metaphors, the painter highlights the weakness of the America and the strength and advantages of China. After watching the painting, the viewers will spontaneously obtain the impression that the world is no longer a world that dominates by the western people. When the cultural signs and practices of the colonized and colonizing cultures mix, mingle together or integrate, cultural hybridity occurs.

Therefore, they attack cultural hybridity. No matter this assimilation is positive or negative, enriching or oppressive, hyridity is a social phenomenon that are resulted from colonialism. Through using some signs, metaphors and codes, the oil painting Beijing has well reinforce the meaning of hybridity. As shown by the painting, the four women who are playing Mahjong are wearing Lace, which is a sign of western people, because Lace is firstly invented by western people.

However, where they sit is a heatable adobe sleeping platform, which is a Chinese cultural code. In addition, Mahjong, and the red bellyband wear by the little girl are also Chinese cultural codes.

In a Chinese traditional earth house, four naked ladies including two western ladies from different places wearing the same lace-detailed clothes, play Chinese Mahjong. This is a picture full of cultural signs and practices of the colonized and colonizing cultures.

These signs and codes mix together, which enables the viewers to think why they can mix in a so weird form. The Hybridity meaning is also shown by the head portrayal hung on the wall. In one hand she has a bowl of fruit, and in the other, a paring knife.

Her expression as she stares at China is full of anger, sadness, and hatred, but to no avail; unless she enters the game, no matter who ends up as the victor, she is doomed to a fate of serving fruit. Outside the riverbank is darkened by storm clouds, suggesting the high tension between the two nations is dangerously explosive. China is naked on top, clothed with a skirt and underwear on the bottom. America wears a bra and a light jacket, but is naked on the bottom.

Russia has only her underwear left. Japan has nothing left. At first glance, America appears to be most composed and seems to be the best position, as all the others are in various states of nakedness. However, while America may look radiant, her vulnerability has already been exposed. China and Russia may look naked, yet their key private parts remain hidden. If the stakes of this game is that the loser strips off a piece of clothing, then if China loses, she will be in the same state as Russia similar to when the USSR dissolved.

If America loses, she also ends up in the same state as Russia. If Russia loses, she loses all. Japan has already lost everything. America may look like she is in the best position, but in fact is in a lot of danger, if she loses this round, she will give up her position as a world power. Russia is the most sinister, playing along with both sides, much like when China was de-occupied, she leaned towards the USSR and then towards America; as she did not have the ability to survive on her own, she had to weave between both sides in order to survive and develop.

Perhaps suggesting that China has several hidden aces? Japan on the other hand is completely oblivious, still focused solely on her own set of tiles. He symbolizes the one hundred years' of Chinese history and the sum total of the old and new democracies. To the left of the painting, there is a innocent and focused girl who is probably celebrating because she has a good hand. The girl in the middle with her back turned to the observer has three "east" tiles, symbolizing the unignorable reality -- the emergence of China.

But the girl is also trying to cheat with the tiles hidden behind her foot. The girl in the middle facing the observer seems to be of mixed blood. As she plays the games, she is looking at the source of the light that is, the future. She is nicely dressed, and she has a slightly worried look. Then there is that foreign girl. She is playing a Chinese game in which she has no confidence. She is lying there, because she has one tile less than required.

She has lost already. On the right hand side, there is a peasant girl who came to work in the city. She is the fresh labor force that allowed China to rise. On her face, there is a little bit of incomprehension and dissatisfaction. She holds a shining fruit knife in her hand, indicating a resentment against wealthy people and a certain danger.