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Although Peng Si’s paintings have incorporated many elements from traditional painting, his works, however, are still refreshing and contemporary. However, artists who position their art practice according to western art historical narrative would not necessarily agree with my view. Most Chinese artists today share the “contemporary anxiety” and are worried that their work is not “contemporary” enough. In fact, this anxiety is unnecessary. Once contemporaneity becomes a pursuable style or trend, it loses its ability to project the present. Thus losing its contemporaneity, similar to Jean-Francois Lyotard’s explanation on the necessity of revising modernity. Peng Si is courageous to express his sentiment of the present, even though they might not necessarily fit with current trends. It is through these precisely promptings of true sentiments that his seemingly traditional works can embody a refreshing impression. Peng Si projects the contemporary in a non-contemporary form.  

Besides the anxiety of “not being contemporary enough”, today’s Chinese artists also share a “historical anxiety”. Artists are worried that they will not be written into history or feel that they need to revise history in order to be marked in history. In fact, it is also unnecessary. No one can choose history. They can only be chosen by history. This is especially the case in art. Art is a manifestation of the artist. The competition among artworks is essentially a competition of the artists’ characters. Only works projecting one’s character would be claimed as one’s own and can then have the possibility to be chosen by history. However, the contrary is also true. Yet, artist can neither choose history nor revise history. What the artist can do is make his best effort to present his true nature, and then be chosen by history. The reason for Peng Si’s work to gain wide affirmation is his participation in a time of revival of Chinese culture. After a century of self-doubt, self-criticism, and self-deconstruction, Chinese culture has finally entered an era of rebuilding in the new millennium. If it were thirty years ago in the era of western influence, Peng Si’s paintings would not easily gain the success it enjoys today.