Sunshine, 1993 (oil on canvas)

For the main subject of Sunshine, Yue borrows the contours of his younger brother's face, who had spent a short period of time in prison, which he simplifies, multiplies, and exaggerates. The architectural elements evoke the tight quarters of traditional Beijing courtyard residences, but the bars on the windows, the drab dress of the figures, and their near-shaved heads equally invoke a prison-like environment. Despite the title of the work, no sky or sunlight is visible, but is only implied by the harsh shadows cast by the buildings and the sharp facial features of the figures. As a result, the figures' laughter appears like a kind of madness befitting those surviving in a profoundly inhuman environment.