"The digital age now enables people to learn a lot about the world. But five years ago, I got bored (with being surrounded by too much information), so I returned to the roots of Chinese culture and have found a tranquil, enduring beauty in it."
In Helpless Dormancy, a work he produced this year, a man sleeps in a room that is filled with desks, shelves, stairs and doors.
The composition of this painting points to the rapid deconstruction and reconstruction of Chinese society.
Boasting vivid colors, You's paintings also touch upon urban issues like the fast pace of city life.
You says that while his previous work was more personal and emotional, his latest creations increasingly address the changes in the social environment in today's China.
Min Byung-jic, the collaborative director of Alternative Space Loop, who curates You's exhibition, says his works focus on the coexistence of the Western figurative approach and the Oriental abstraction spirit, and combine modern painting techniques and traditional aesthetics.
He says You's paintings encompass the experiences of China's dramatic economic and social transformation and reveal the collective feelings about these changes.
Through You's brush strokes, one can also feel a sense of rhythm.
You, who loves rock 'n' roll and jazz, says he likes to hear sounds or voices when painting.
Speaking of his work schedule, he says "I sometimes feel irritated when I have to work on pleasant days and can't go out."
He adds that his busy social life and family matters also put him under pressure.
"So, sounds really let me relax and focus on painting."
