China News Service, Kunming, January 26 (Miao Chao, Chen Xuelian) Painting ink and brush strokes, painter Luo Jiang is concentrating on creating group portraits of the 26 ethnic groups in Yunnan. On the drawing paper that is more than 3 meters high and 8 meters long, many ethnic characters have different expressions and are lifelike. Among them, the image of an old Yi woman is particularly eye-catching. She is draped in wool felt and squatting on the ground. The wrinkles on her face are full of vicissitudes of life, but her eyes are not anxious but full of determination, silently conveying a sense of " Bitter beauty”.
"Compared to other fraternal ethnic groups, the image of the Yi people is more deeply anchored in my mind." Luo Jiang explained this because he himself is a Yunnanese with Yi blood. As a famous Chinese painter, Luo Jiang holds many positions - director of the Chinese Artists Association, deputy director of the National Art Committee of the Chinese Artists Association, and chairman of the Yunnan Artists Association.
Rooted in the land of Yunnan, Luo Jiang insists on using the Yi people as the subject of creation, and uses contrasting visual elements of black and red to creatively explore the unique "red soil feeling" in Chinese ink paintings. Recently, in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Network, he said, "The soil and water support the people. My painting creation is inseparable from my hometown. My hometown is the source of my artistic life and creativity."
The picture shows painter Luo Jiang. Photo by Yang Muyuan
Rendering "Red Earth Feeling"
In 1959, Luo Jiang was born in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan. It is located in the hinterland of central Yunnan and has the most concentrated and typical red soil on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. In the eyes of photographers and tourists, the vast red earth is undoubtedly one of the most magnificent landscapes on the planet where humans live and multiply. But for the farmers who had no hope for the future, the lack of water, cold weather, and limited crops suitable for planting once plunged the area into a barren and barbaric state.
Luo Jiang's parents are both Chinese teachers. As an intellectual living in an area with poor transportation and backward education, Luo Jiang's parents had to travel to many places to support teaching. From the moment he was born, Luo Jiang followed in his parents' footsteps and kept walking in the countryside of Chuxiong and Kunming. From Wuding to Lufeng, and from Luquan to Kunming, Luo Jiang lived in this multi-ethnic area. As an educated youth, the place where Luo Jiang went to the countryside was also a gathering area for the Yi people.
Luo Jiang is familiar with the living conditions and spiritual culture of the Yi people on the red soil of Yunnan, which naturally became the source of inspiration for his creations. "The Yi people admire red, which comes from the never-extinguishing flame in the fire pit, just like our passionate and fiery personality; the Yi people also advocate black, which comes from ancestor worship and gives people a sense of solemnity, strength and tenacity."
Some psychologists once said that color is an image of life originating from the soul. It is a symbolic metaphor connected with human life and death. It is also a symbol of the hope and prayer of a group of people to cohere, continue and pass on in nature. Luo Jiang told reporters, "Black and red constitute the most important emotion in my life."
The picture shows Luo Jiang's work "Spring Equinox in Mount Yi". Photo by Zhao Jiwei
Luo Jiang has loved painting since he was a child. In the mid-1980s, Luo Jiang graduated from Hunan Institute of Arts and Crafts and later studied for a Master of Arts at East China Normal University. After completing his studies, he chose Chinese figure painting as his research direction. With his unique geographical life experience and the influence of various painting schools at home and abroad, he continued to pursue his own painting language and explored a path of ink figure painting that attracted much attention. "The red soil is barren and the Yi people are tough. Their attitude toward life calmly facing nature deeply affected my understanding of the world. My subsequent creations also unconsciously incorporated this state of mind."
The "Ailao Mountain" series, "Red Earth Feeling" and "Freehand Yunnan" series created by Luo Jiang are highly praised. The painting he is most satisfied with is "Red Earth Feeling·Bimo·Sacrifice" which was collected by the National Art Museum of China in 2005 in the National Art Museum of China's "Farmers·Farmers Collection and Invitational Exhibition of the National Art Museum of China". In this work, the strong collision of black and red color blocks and the perfect shaping of the characters give people a strong and honest "red earth feeling" impression. The famous Chinese art critic Lang Shaojun commented that the images of the Yi people in Luo Jiang's works are plain and simple but not "bitter" - especially the Yi women. Whether they are shepherding sheep, carrying firewood, sewing clothes, or carrying water, they are attentive and calm. , no tension, no anxiety. The so-called "bitter beauty" probably stems from a habitual "imagination of border areas".
Chen Lusheng, former deputy director of the National Museum of China, once commented that Luo Jiang has been paying attention to the red land he is familiar with for many years, as well as the customs, customs and humanistic spirit related to the red land. While using his brushes to express his feelings about life, he also carefully studied the history and culture of the nation. These specific tasks are becoming the foundation of his art, so his works often reflect many humanistic backgrounds that can be interpreted by the knowledgeable.
The picture shows Luo Jiang creating. Photo by Yang Muyuan
Endogenous “cultural consciousness”
Throughout Luo Jiang's ink paintings, there have always been two themes running through them: one is characters, and the other is landscapes. Whether it is figures or landscapes, he points them to the familiar southwest region.
This is the cultural consciousness of contemporary Chinese artists, who have a deep attachment to their homeland. Cultural consciousness drives Luo Jiang to continue to go beyond Yunnan, to the whole country, and to the world, sharing the "red earth feeling".
Over the years, many of his works have been collected by art galleries, museums and other institutions at home and abroad. His ethnic-themed works have been exhibited in Europe, America, Southeast Asia, and Africa, arousing great resonance among foreign audiences.
Luo Jiang told reporters, “In the context of globalization, although the regional nature of painting has been reduced due to media, transportation and other factors, the unique sensitivities and styles of artists nourished by different regions should still be fully respected in this era. value."
The picture shows Luo Jiang's painting "Haystack". Photo by Zhao Jiwei
In Luo Jiang's view, only by preserving and adhering to national cultural traditions can we be respected by the world. "Ethnic art is an important part of Chinese traditional culture, and Yunnan is the province with the most ethnic groups in the country and rich ethnic cultural resources. A large number of ethnic and folk art works not only have high folk culture research value, but also have high artistic aesthetic value.”
As the former director of the Yunnan Art Museum and the former president of the Yunnan Painting Academy, Luo Jiang has organized and planned many important art exhibitions in Yunnan Province over the years, presenting the beauty of border culture; providing a platform for young painters to showcase the great beauty they depict Yunnan's beautiful mountains and rivers and colorful ethnic customs; continue to provide art resources and painting materials to schools in ethnic minority areas, inspiring children of all ethnic groups in mountainous areas to love art and pursue art. He has also made many efforts and contributions to promote the exchange and development of Yunnan art at home and abroad. (over)