Apple
(2011)
Medium
porcelain
Measurements
48.0 × 38.0 × 38.0 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Connie Kimberley and Craig Kimberley OAM, 2023
© Li Lihong
Gallery location
Asian Art - Chinese Gallery
Level 1, NGV International
About this work
Li Lihong’s artistic practice is a product of his generation’s social experiences and the clash between sophisticated Chinese art practices and present-day globalisation and mass production. Through the traditions of Jingdezhen ceramics, Li Lihong subverts popular symbols of consumerism, subtly referencing China’s own history of porcelain export and global trade.
Apple melds the universally recognised symbol of computer and electronics company Apple Inc., which entered the Chinese market in 1993, with an overall decoration of brightly coloured flowers known as the ‘One Hundred Flowers’ motif. This motif was popular with the Qianlong Emperor (1711–1799) and symbolised a wish for the Qing empire (1644–1912) to last as long as flowers bloom in the world.