In the footsteps of giants

Being a young artist with famous parents in the same business appears to be a two-edged sword when it comes to successfully moving out of their shadows. Zhang Zixuan reports in Beijing.

Post-80s artist Luo Dan is following in his famous father's footsteps. The young teacher at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute held his first solo exhibition Free Like the Wind in Shanghai and Taipei, in 2011, while a second solo exhibition is scheduled in Beijing for the end of 2012. However, he is still best known as the son of Luo Zhongli, whose Super Realistic oil painting, Father, set a milestone in contemporary Chinese art. Luo Dan admits to being one of the so-called "yierdai", second-generation individuals who follow in their parents' artistic footsteps as artists, gallery managers or collectors.

The yierdai group has grown in recent years as leading contemporary art figures enter their 50s or 60s. Like Luo, the yierdai are thought to benefit from their parents' positions.