Utopia (2001-2005)

After 2000, Zhu produced several representational themed works. The renowned Utopia series, depicting the scene where big-headed masculine men are attending an official conference, is one of them. The party members in the conference are listless, yet listening to the officials respectfully; sometimes they even loyally record everything with their thick and chunky pens. Having attended countless conferences like this, the artist is sympathetic to the poor participants for he knows the struggle of keeping one’s concentration. The work is full of meticulous details: the earrings on the delegates of the National People’s Congress indicate their individual social standing; the plantain leaf with a huge vermiculated hole proposes that it has long passed its prime. The large red flag and a flowered stage are also inevitable props in a formal assembly. Also, plants taken from a classical album provide the picture with a modern palace setting. And a great contrast lies between the man promoting the new direction for the party on stage and the old listeners besides the blossoming flowers off stage.

《乌托邦》（2001-2005年）

2000年以后，朱伟创作的多个主题都成为其代表作，著名的“乌托邦”系列是其中之一，刻画了那些顶着大脑袋的强健身躯参加官方会议的情景。会议中党员们百无聊赖，但仍洗耳恭听着，还时不时用粗短的钢笔忠诚地记录着什么。因为朱伟曾多次忍受这样的会议，所以他的笔触是具有同情心的——他知道要挣扎着保持注意力到底是什么含义。其中某些小细节也很有意思：一位人大代表穿了个耳钉，说明他的朋克倾向；在生机勃勃的芭蕉叶上有一个巨大的虫蚀洞，表明它已经渡过了青春期。巨大的红色旗帜和繁花似锦的讲台摆设是这种正式群众聚会场合不可避免的；而从古代册页里移植过来的折枝、花篮，这些具有象征性的元素，则很好地担任了现代宫廷的隐喻。台上的演讲正宣扬着党的新路线，而台下那些正在倾听着的苍老空虚的面容却与鲜活的花朵并置在一起，形成一个绝佳的比照。