An Jianjun’s large scale, life-size paintings present a series of ‘types’, figures that combine a number of physical and emotional traits, providing the viewer with insights into how we both present ourselves and are seen by others. An has utilized eighteen individual character types; there are men and women, each depicting the lives of individuals who have immigrated to Canada and who are seen by themselves and others to fit into a specific role within the existing social and cultural milieu of this country.

Through these paintings An proposes that our identities and self-image we put out in the world are constructed internally by our personalities but subject to interpretation and stereotyping by others. The figures present themselves to the world and the viewer in a way that implies a desire for interaction with the viewer; they have their own story to tell and indicate that dialogue between individuals and cultures can help to ‘unmask’ the authentic identity of the subject.