Chinese illustrator Jinkuang’s work can be best described as avant-garde smut. It’s art that elevates the normal into the suggestive. A pair of loose-fitting boxer briefs wrapped around a set of muscular thighs, drawn in a palette of unexpected tones, teases at a world of fleshly pleasures. This playful approach adds a touch of levity to the sexually charged works, giving them more than carnal appeal.
如果说要用一句话概括金矿的作品，可以说是“一种小清新的情色插画”。它们是稀松平常的细节，却又带着一丝隐隐的挑逗感——比如宽松的内裤总搭配着紧致的臀部肌肉，而肉体却被赋予了各种颜色的可能。这种轻盈，正是他的魅力所在。世人各有燥热，但在他笔下的世界，荤腥也似青涩。
To Jinkuang, there’s a fine line between the erotic and the pornographic. Through his calculated use of color, he looks to temper the crudeness of the content. Vibrant hues, like cerulean blues, saffron yellows, lavender purples, and lime greens shade in his scantily-clad characters. While desire and sexuality are indeed the subject of his illustrations, he insists that the work is “never meant to be X-rated.”
Jinkuang’s art is an outlet for his desires, and it’s rewarding to know that others have felt as aroused as he was while drawing. “Some of my followers have messaged me, saying that they’ve been really turned on by my illustrations,” he grins. “I suppose it’s like my sexual desires never quite went away. They were just transplanted into my art.”
在金矿的理解中，色情跟情色还是有区别的，他在试图努力用颜色消解平衡那种色情感——天蓝、明黄、苹果绿、丁香紫，这些跳脱的颜色和裸露的人体结合起来，并不显得“违和”。金矿说，他想表达的是情色跟欲望，而不是“纯粹的色情”。
“有读者给我发私信说，他们看相册引起了自己的生理反应。”金矿笑说，别人能通过画作去感受到他当时的性欲，并且被感染了，他会很开心。“这一切就好像，我当时排解了我的性欲，但是他们没有消失，而是转移到我的插画里了。”
Often on a whim Jinkuang draws an everyday object, such as shoes, socks, fruits or flowers. Sometimes these are allusions to body parts, sometimes they’re just fetish objects. If there’s a particular item he’s especially fond of, he might even build out an entire series revolving around it. “I like examining the overlooked parts of daily life,” he says. “I think there’s tremendous potential within these delicate moments.”
鞋子、袜子、水果、象征性器的花朵，这些日常却细腻的物件，就是金矿的插画里始终贯穿着的“fetish”。“我比较容易喜欢那些更贴近生活的更细小更日常的东西，觉得那里面有很宏大的内容。”金矿说，这些小细节往往也是他开启一个大系列的源头，如果是他比较喜欢的创作主题，就会有意识地在之后的创作里全部加上第一张画里让他开心的必要元素，直到厌倦。
Despite the homoerotic nature of Jinkuang’s art, he’s gained an unexpected following of female fans in recent years. He’s grateful that his work appeal to them, believing that societal norms have, for too long, dictated that women shouldn’t freely embrace their sexuality. Through the lens of art, a woman’s appreciation of sex can somehow feel more appropriate. “I’m not actually trying to make any grand statements about specific social issues or inspire change,” he adds. “But maybe the existence of my art is enough. Maybe it can encourage some people to fully be themselves.”
尽管所画的内容都发生在男性之间，但相册在女性群体中引发的片片涟漪，也让金矿有所触动。受限于文化的束缚和对纯“色情”的反感，很多女性并不能直面情欲。但相比赤裸裸的色欲，被艺术消解过的情色艺术则相对包容得多。“我其实未必有在创作的同时想到过去呼吁、或倾注什么社会力量，但存在的本身，对别人来说或许就是一种鼓励吧。”
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Contributor: Chen Yuan
English Translation: David Yen
