Ah, rebellious youth. The Shanghai Spring Art Saloon, which features 100 oil paintings, traditional Chinese paintings, sculptures and installations by 50 young Chinese artists, vows to inspire the rebellious power of art.

Organized by the Shanghai Institution of Oil Paintings and Sculptures, the exhibition, now running at CITIC Square, highlights the vigor of these young artists.

"You can say that their works are not mature enough, whether in terms of technique or style, yet no one can deny the freshness and purity in their creations," says Li Lei, president of the institute. "I am sure that the stars of tomorrow will emerge from these works."

Immersed in fast-food culture and commercial advertisements, the younger generation instinctively grasps the core of decorative art, and can swiftly use it in their own productions. The strikingly mixed colors are very pleasant, appealing to the modern aesthetics. The European street scenes by Ge Qiantao, for example, featuring dazzling hues is reminiscent of the work by Taiwanese cartoonist Jimmy Liao.

Some young artists just stop there with their visual pride, but a few others go deeper. "The level of the artists varies a lot," says Peng Mingliang, a renowned local oil painter. "Some of the works are just so so, and you can tell that they are done by recent graduates. But some of them are incredibly good."

Nanjing artist Liu Guofu is one of the latter. Born in 1964, Liu is a graduate from Nanjing Normal University. His painting, Untitled, features a blurred human back -- perhaps a Tibetan monk -- running against a dark backdrop. The artist perfectly adopts a variety of cold colors in conjuring up a mysterious and pious background, illuminated by dim sunshine. The piece fuses solitude and religion in a way that cannot be described in exact words.

Perhaps due to their lack of experience, many of the artists have selected human portraits for their subjects. Compared with the oil paintings on display, the average level of the sculptures are better in both concept and execution. Shanghai artist Qiu Jia's sculptures evoke the idea of how to keep an intimate distance between lovers while retaining one's own private space. "I especially like the illusion and freedom in the works," says Li. "Although some of them are a bit naive, they are sincere and real." Indeed. These young artists are not sophisticated enough to hide their concepts and feelings. They communicate directly with visitors, and haven't yet learnt how to hide behind their works.

"While there isn't really much profundity or depth in terms of social observations, these artists are sharing their own worlds with us," Li adds. "And it's a promising world, like their youth."

Time: 10am-9pm, through March 24

Address: B/1, 1168 Nanjing Rd W.

Tel: (021) 6208-9227, 6208-7569

(Shanghai Daily March 19, 2004)