It is always a bit awkward for a painter to talk about his own paintings. The usual approach is to attach certain concepts, theories or outlooks onto his own works to make the way for himself or find theoretical support. People in the profession have long been fed up with this proliferation of empty talk, but still we must “talk” a bit when we make an appearance. The reason is that aside from this, if we talk too much of skills and expression, we run the risk of looking like lowly craftsmen.

    In fact, the broadness of art is such that there are aspects profound beyond words, as well as aspects explainable in simple terms, such as skill and expression. After all, as Balthus said, art begins with craft. The first issue an artwork must face is that of expression, which is an issue of craft. It must first stand up to the discussion of craft. For realist painting, the grasp of colors, lines, forms or the sense of space determines the character of the painting, because craft or expression are the eternal cornerstones of art.

    Every painter must find a way to seek out a linguistic form in painting that suits him, and then make every effort to purify and individualize it. But this is a slow and difficult process.

    When I first encountered oil painting, I was deeply moved by its power to express light and color, and so in my early days, I often found myself drawn to Impressionist works. I was also in awe of the exacting modeling of the academy painters, and so, both intentionally and unintentionally, I fused the expression of light and exacting modeling into my own painting. The Russian Itinerants were quite exceptional in this regard, and provided me with much inspiration and guidance.

    I found, however, that the brushwork of Western oil painting was not quite sufficient. Even the brushwork of modern Western oil painting is too simple, with too little change and too little content. It was far from sufficient to satisfy my needs. Would it be possible in oil painting to retain this superior expression of light and color, and precision in modeling, while also conveying the rich brush stylings of freehand Chinese painting? As a painter steeped in Chinese traditional culture, I naturally hope to find the means for richer expression within Chinese traditional painting, and the unique and highly expressive brushwork of Chinese painting provided a solid foundation for my search. I have long consciously sought the essence of Chinese painting, and through many years of trial and error, gradually infused my oil brushstrokes with stylings akin to Chinese freehand painting—using the various textures of Chinese brushstrokes, the speed of the brush movement, and the weight of the hand on the brush to achieve multiple changes within a single stroke of the brush. Meanwhile, due to the inherent traits of oil painting, I also hope to infuse each stroke of the brush with rich chromatic shifts. I made ample use of the texture that arises from thick applications of oil, and alternated such strokes with more diluted applications for overlapping layers of contrast, which further enriched the expressiveness of the painting. Here, the brushstroke is no longer just a means of conveying appearances, but has taken on the emotions, will and individuality of the painter. Possessing its own rhythm and melody, the brushstroke has its own abstract beauty and independent aesthetic value, something which is readily apparent in the details of my paintings.

    This painting approach, with its emphasis on brushwork, demands that the brushstrokes give rise to the image, but that the image must also be a carrier for the brushstroke. It is quite easy, however, for image and brushwork to become decoupled. When the artist focuses on modeling, the rhythm of the brushstroke is easily lost. When the artist focuses on brushwork, the image is easily overlooked. In realist oil painting, it is no simple matter to make the brushstrokes appear natural and carefree. Without the benefit of personal experience, it is difficult to gauge the difficulty of a skill, or the depths of its refinement.

    All things in nature are full of details. I strive to use simple brushwork to present a highly generalized likeness with a rich sense of texture and impressionistic details. I attempt to present an abundance of detail without actually getting bogged down in representational detail. This pursuit of unity between brushwork and image is certainly more of a challenge, one that requires a sensitive touch from the painter. If, however, the painter pursues a high level of generalization while lacking solid grounding in drawing and modeling, the resulting paintings will certainly appear empty and superficial.

    I pay much attention to the expressiveness of color, because the expression of color is the key to balance in an oil painting. Good colors should be heavy but not stagnant, bright but not restless, rich but not chaotic, pure but not monotonous. All of the colors in a painting, even in the shadows, should appear translucent. It is no secret, however, that to achieve this depends more on natural talent, though training is also essential.

    I very much like soft gray (a compound color), and strive to convey subtle and precise chromatic shifts within fields of gray, because the true colors in nature often comprise rich and dynamic combinations of gray, and such colors are particularly striking. I believe that the ability to freely control all the various types of gray is something we should demand of any outstanding painter.

    My painting approach is a rather direct one that takes shape all at once. There is a powerful sense of flow to the act of painting. It is best suited to extemporaneous painting, but it is quite difficult to control. Just as in Chinese painting, before you lift the brush, you must have a feel for the imagery, composition, colors and brushwork. You must be able to paint without regret. If you alter and correct it back and forth, you will fail.

    The above are my experiences gained in my painting practice. I have no lofty maxims to share, just some advice from a craftsman. I hope some may find it helpful. 

    Today, painting has developed a dizzying variety of schools and styles. Each has its own aesthetic value, and all should respect, understand and accept each other. But painting must be—and can only be—painting. Though it can convey certain metaphysical things, it is, after all, a visual art. If we were to discard the linguistic forms inherent to painting, or became unable to awaken the viewer `s intuitive exchange with the artwork, then no infusion of concepts or philosophies would be able to save it. There is empty painting out there that is dragged out to play a role in philosophical games, but such games would make real philosophy laugh, and real painting cry. In the end, we must be able to sit quietly amidst this dazzling scene to truly get a feel for the artist `s heart.

1998, Chengdu