It is always awkward for a painter to talk about his own works. The usual way to do so is to label one’s works with some concepts, theories or even some philosophies as support, which have often been despised by professional painters. But I still have to do the same myself, because if I speak too much of skills, I’d be only a craftsman.

　　The truth about art is that it is profound while plain. It is profound, for it’s hard to put art into words. It is plain, for it could be demonstrated by craft and expression, as Balthus puts it, “art is firstly a craft, which is the basis of everything.” Indeed, the first problem for art to solve is expression, i.e. craft, which refers to the use of colors, lines and the grasp of shaping and space in realistic painting. Craft, or expression, is always the basis of art.

　　Painters must look for their own artistic language to express themselves, refine and individualize it, which must be arduous and time-consuming.

　　Upon my exposure to painting for the first time in my life, I was touched by the way in which light and color are expressed in oil paintings, thus I adore impressionistic works; in the meantime, I appreciate the solid and compact way of shaping of academicism. So I might have casually combined the two, with inspiration from The Itinerants in Russia.

　　The use of brushstrokes in oil painting, however, is too simple and rigid for me. The question haunted me: is it possible to absorb the brushstroke technique of Chinese impressionistic works in oil painting? Immersed in traditional Chinese culture since young, I could only look for the answer in traditional Chinese painting, which is characterized by rich and expressive use of brushstrokes. So after years of studying and trying, I’ve successfully transplanted some brushstroke techniques of traditional Chinese impressionistic works into oil painting—varieties of stroke, speed and strength; meanwhile, I’ve reinforced the whole picture by utilizing the variety of colors, textures and strokes. Then the use of brushstrokes, rather than only being a method of expression, has been given the emotions, ideals and individualities of the painter, and its rhythms, especially in a certain part of a painting, have their own aesthetic taste and value.

　　That style requires a painter to balance his shaping with brush techniques; however, the use of brush may be ignored when much attention is given to shaping, or vice versa. There is no quick fix in fitting one’s use of brush in realistic oil painting, and one cannot fully understand it if he’s not in the occupation.

　　Details are embedded in everything, and I try my best to cover the variety and richness of details without doing so in a rigid and dull way, which is even more challenging than looking for a balance between shaping and brushstroke techniques because it requires painters of great sensitivity; yet in the meantime, one is likely to make his paintings shallow and empty without a strong basis of line-shaping.

　　As one of key factors to evaluate an oil painting, the use of colors is highly emphasized in my works. It is my belief that colors should be used profoundly but not rigidly, brightly rather than impetuously, richly without disorders, and simply while avoiding monotones—in other words, colors in any painting should be transparent, even for those in shadows. To accomplish this, one has to rely on his talents and self-cultivation, even more than practicing.

　　I’m fond of the beautiful color grey (tertiary color), because I suppose colors on the earth all stem from the delicate variations of grey, and I’ve strived to show all the subtle changes in grey lumps, which, I believe, should be one of the criteria for evaluating a painter.

　　I paint without drafting, which is enjoyable while risky—one has to carefully deliberate on the frame, characters, colors and brushstroke techniques before starting. Once the brush is set, no alteration can be made.

　　Above is some of my experience in painting as a “craftsman”, honest and sincere, and I hope it can serve as a little inspiration and stimulus for others.

　　Different schools and styles prevail in the fine arts circle at present, each and every one of which should be spared similar respect and tolerance because they embody different aesthetic values. Yet in the meantime, painters should concentrate only on painting—I know it sometimes conveys philosophical ideas, but it is mainly visual. If a painter abandons the artistic language for painting, or drives away the intuitional interaction with the audience, then his art is doomed, even by help of philosophy. What’s worse, some would even put his paintings—empty and shallow—on the stage of philosophy, which could only draw sneers from the philosophical side, and sighs from the painting side. Anyway, it is in such a mess that an artist’s aspiration and ambition are examined.

Chengdu

1998

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