Can Portrait No. 13

This original figurative sketch explores everyday identity, fashion, and observation through a contemporary standing figure.

Zheng Hao’s The Can Archive treats each person as a unique set of visual signals. Rather than creating conventional portraits based primarily on facial likeness, the artist focuses on the characteristics that remain most strongly in perception and memory.

In this work, clothing plays an important role. The asymmetrical top and striped trousers divide the body into distinct visual zones, while the held object introduces a small but recognizable gesture of everyday life.

These elements allow the figure to become specific without requiring extensive detail.

The work reflects Zheng Hao’s interest in how individuality is constructed through ordinary outward signs: dress, posture, objects, and social behavior. Each of these becomes part of the “label” through which a person is visually remembered.

Through Can Portrait No. 13, portraiture becomes an act of selective observation—revealing how seemingly minor details can define a person’s presence within a larger human archive.

Can Portrait No. 13 captures a female figure through quiet posture, contemporary clothing, and a small everyday gesture. The subject stands in a relaxed position, holding a cup-like object near the chest. Her short hair, asymmetrical upper garment, and vertically striped trousers create a clear and distinctive silhouette, while the restrained pose gives the drawing a calm, observational quality. Unlike the more theatrical or dynamic figures elsewhere in The Can Archive, this work is built around subtlety. The body is not performing a dramatic action; instead, identity emerges through ordinary details—the way the figure stands, the clothing she chooses, and the object she carries. Within Zheng Hao’s “canning machine” concept, such details become the information that survives the artist’s process of visual compression. Can Portrait No. 13 preserves a brief social impression: a person encountered through appearance, posture, and habit, transformed into a compact visual record on paper.

Discover more works by Zheng Hao →

Each artwork is carefully prepared and securely packaged to help ensure safe delivery. Protective wrapping, reinforced corner protection, and sturdy outer packaging are used to safeguard the artwork throughout transit. Package Dimensions: 34 × 42 × 9 cm Package Weight: 0.8 kg If you require custom framing or professional mounting services, please contact us by email before placing your order or prior to shipment. As framing requirements, packaging specifications, destination, and shipping conditions may vary for each artwork, framing and shipping costs will be individually assessed and quoted on a per-artwork basis. Our team will recommend an appropriate packing and shipping solution based on the specific work to help ensure it arrives safely and ready for your space.

As an original sketch on paper, this artwork should be displayed and stored with particular attention to light, humidity, and surface protection. Keep the work away from direct sunlight and prolonged exposure to strong artificial light, as excessive UV exposure may gradually discolor the paper and affect the drawn surface. Display the artwork in a stable indoor environment away from excessive humidity, heat, and significant temperature fluctuations. Avoid positioning it near radiators, fireplaces, air-conditioning vents, or damp areas. For long-term display, archival-quality matting and backing materials together with UV-protective glazing are recommended. The artwork should not come into direct contact with non-archival adhesives or acidic materials. Avoid touching the drawing surface with bare hands. When handling is necessary, carefully hold the sheet by its edges with clean, dry hands or appropriate protective gloves.