# Neo-Noir Paintings Chen-Dao Lee Explores Our Emotional Discrepancies in His Work By Vasiliki Marapas | Published 2015-01-05 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chen-dao-lee References: [beautifuldecay](http://beautifuldecay.com/2014/12/31/chen-dao-lees-evocative-paintings-masked-heros-wrestling-maidens/) & [leechendao](http://leechendao.com/Today-Monumental) Chen-Dao Lee creates color-saturated paintings with a [neo-noir vibe](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rouge-noir). Starring femme fatales, fallen superheroes and monstrous creatures, each painting is admittedly a little bizarre, but nonetheless, absolutely delightful. Several of the paintings feature Lee's weird, twisted characters posing together; for instance, one shot features two girls wearing frilly socks and carrying semi-automatic weapons, while another depicts a pink-haired girl play-wrestling a creature that's half-man, half-monster. No matter the image, there's a sense of [latent, underlying sexuality](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/anima) in each of Lee's paintings. It could be that perhaps he is attempting to illustrate our deepest, darkest desires, and presenting them to us. But Lee's work goes further than that: there is a sense of detachment to each image, revealing an inherent sense of contradiction. Where there is desire, then, there is also apathy and malaise. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.9/10 - Popularity: 59% | Activity: 19% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Modern](https://www.trendhunter.com/modern) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Neo-noir Art:** Exploring the fusion of noir aesthetics with modern artistic expression through color-saturated paintings. - **Twisted Characters:** Creating bizarre and delightful characters that challenge traditional artistic representations. - **Sexuality and Contradiction:** Conveying latent desires and an inherent sense of contradiction through art. ### Who This Affects Most - **Art and Design:** Opportunities for artists to experiment with non-traditional styles and challenge societal norms. - **Entertainment and Media:** Integration of neo-noir themes in films, books, and video games to create captivating narratives. - **Fashion and Cosmetics:** Exploration of dark, edgy aesthetics and unconventional beauty standards in fashion and cosmetics. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Neo-Mexican Art Exhibits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/para-morelio.md) - [Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contemporary-urban-art.md) - [Raw Sports Emotion Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/game-exhibition.md) - [Suburban-Inspired Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/suburbaninspired-art-exhibition.md) - [Raunchy Anime-Inspired Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/manuela-soto-sosa.md) - [Surreal Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeffrey-deitch-art-gallery.md) - [Glass Beaded Intricate Artworks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/painting-exhibition.md) - [Otherwordly Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/william-monk.md) - [Vibrant Design Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/neon-primitivism.md)