SALUTE THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF REFORM AND OPENING UP

Zhou Shichao

Before the reform and opening up, art was regarded as a "partial door", although some people liked painting very much, but it was difficult to make a living: most of them entered the factory, painting expertise can only be displayed in the workshop, the labor union bulletin board. During the 40 years of reform and opening up, not only has people's material life improved, but also the cultural environment has become diversified and rich, and the appeal for beauty is more than ever before. Under such a social background, I have the honor to take painting as my career and pursue my artistic ideal in the era of peaceful development. In recent years, my Friends in Europe often invited me to exhibit. As a Chinese painter, I have gradually gained influence in the Western society. While I am gratified, I also know that all achievements are due to the achievements of the 40 years of reform and opening up -- the prosperity of the motherland is the prerequisite for me to be respected and recognized overseas.

One

When I was about three or four years old, I was very fond of drawing random things, not painting, just some simple graffiti. It was in the 1960s,when materials were scarce and THERE were no watercolor pens or crayons, so I was very stressed about stationery such as paper. Therefore, chalk and red brick became my best drawing tools. Fortunately, my parents were doctors, so I had some paper left for me to draw.

Remember once, I looked up and looked at the lamp on the telegraph pole outside the window repeatedly, looked at it for a long time and drew it out. My mother was surprised to see my painting, and asked my father to look at it again and again and asked me: This is really your painting! ? Having little contact with painting, they seemed surprised that such a young child could draw such a picture. From then on, my hobby of drawing attracted their attention, and they also found more paper and pen for me to encourage me to draw, which was rare in the family education at that time.

By chance, an old friend of my parents came to the hospital to see a doctor. At that time, several comic books of the teacher had been published in China. My parents asked him to give me some small demonstrations: he told me some basic knowledge of painting and encouraged me to write more, which was the first art teacher I met.

When I went to primary school, I left home very early every day, but my mother was surprised to receive a notice from the teacher that I often did not arrive at class on time. My mother was confused at first and wanted me to explain, so I took her to the field I passed every morning and showed her the open space where I was painting with talc and red heads -- I always lost track of time because I was painting here. Seeing the walls and floors covered with paintings, my mother realized my keen interest in painting and went home to discuss with my father whether I could pursue an art major in the future. My father expressed his concern.

In China in the 1960s and 1970s, the problem of food and clothing had just been basically solved, and the art major was still very small. People were deeply influenced by the thinking of "learning mathematics, physics and chemistry well and being afraid to travel around the world". There was no future in art, so my father disapproved of my over-investment in art. However, my mother hoped that I could continue to paint, thinking that if I stick to my hobby, I will get results. I clearly remember that there were several arguments between my parents on this issue, and my father gradually acquiesced in my decision to learn painting.

My parents both are college students, they hope I can enter university, I was only 12 years old in 77 to restore the university entrance exam, understanding of fine arts college entrance examination is very fuzzy, let alone what can plan, only hope to have been drawing in the future in my mind, now back then insists is purely out of love for painting.

In 1982, I was admitted to Qingdao No. 6 Middle School, which is the first art vocational high school in the island city. As soon as I entered high school, I had a yearning for college and wanted to take part in the college entrance examination of fine arts. First, it could satisfy my wish to persist in painting. Secondly, I can also take care of my parents' expectations for my future development. In the second year of high school, I took the college entrance examination for fine arts in advance, but failed. In the second year, I still failed. It was not until the third year that I was admitted to Shandong University of Art. At that time, there were very few places for students majoring in fine arts in colleges and universities, and it was not surprising that some students took five or six years to enter the university. Even so, everyone was deeply impressed by the restoration of the college entrance examination. Otherwise, painting would have to become a career.

TWO

Shandong College of Art is a comprehensive art college integrating music, fine arts, drama and other art majors, with an active atmosphere. At that time, the school had a dance party on weekend nights and had a rich after-school life, which worried my parents: they told me that it would not be easy for me to enter the university and that I should put all my energy into study and creation. As long as I could paint, I was willing to follow my parents' lead: I spent most of my college life in the studio and library.

Before the 1980s, people's cultural life was in a line: films, literature, music, painting and other spiritual nourishment all came from the former Soviet Union, and "red, bright, tall and complete" became the highest standard for evaluating artistic creation at that time. In the 1980s, the professional courses of the college still continued the Soviet teaching system: realistic painting was the main part of fine arts teaching. At that time, I had studied painting with objective representation as the starting point. This kind of painting that always repeats something is not the way of expression I want. At that time, the school had just opened a foreign language reading room, which provided some foreign books and picture albums for teachers and students. I often go to read: from classicism and realism to impressionism and modernism, many new painting styles are exposed there......

When I graduated from college in 1989, I stayed in school to work, but I did not devote myself to painting. I wanted to stop writing and reflect, hoping to free myself from the pattern of "everyone is the same" in the painting circle at that time and look for a new possibility.

In the early 1990s, with the gradual deepening of the reform and opening up, overseas, Hong Kong and Taiwan pop culture swept to the mainland. Underground rock in Beijing mushroomed, and Tang Dynasty and Zhang Chu became synonymous with musicians of that period. The songs of Alan Tam, Angel Tong and Qi Qin are everywhere. Trendy people are proud to go to Maxim West restaurant... I fell in love with those things and devoted myself to music. In more than two years, I have a new understanding of the expression of emotions, these new understanding subconsciously stirred my painting nerve, I began to hold the brush again, want to explore a new look in painting expression.

After two years of silence, I drew a batch of new works and made a small exhibition in the provincial CPPCC Building. These works are very different from the past in form and technique, and many colleagues and old friends have different responses to my exhibition. Some say it's good, fresh and different. Most people can't believe that this is my work: the concrete and realistic shadow has disappeared, making people a little "confused". Some of them even said frankly that my painting was getting worse and worse. I used to be so good at painting that I didn't know what I was painting now. This is some comments in the circle, the general audience even less people can accept my new style.

Economic development also promotes cultural exchanges, broadens people's horizons, and promotes ideological emancipation and conceptual renewal. In just a few years, the public aesthetic consciousness has changed quietly, and my painting style has begun to be recognized by a small number of audiences. In the late '90s, I did an exhibition in the college's Celebrity gallery, and I didn't expect it to go over so well. At that time, Mr. Yang Songlin, the dean, gave full recognition to my painting and encouraged me to hold an exhibition in Beijing. Beijing is the frontier of Chinese art, so I dared not think of doing an exhibition at that time. Director Yang songlin then wrote me a letter of introduction, asking me to take it to Mr. Liu Xun, president of Beijing Artists Association, recommending me to hold an exhibition in the International Art Garden. It was not easy to do exhibitions in the "International Art Garden" at that time, not only to wait for the schedule, queue up, but also to accept the review: the threshold is relatively high. After seeing my work, Mr. Liu Xun immediately gave his approval, but he asked me to wait for a notice because he wanted to listen to the art committee's evaluation opinions. Two months later I got the notice to start preparing for the exhibition in Beijing.

At the end of December 1999, my exhibition was held at the International Art Garden in Beijing. It attracted a large number of visitors and was well received. To my surprise, art professors from several universities in Beijing appreciated my paintings so much that they wanted me to teach color courses in their universities. Among them were Li Tianxiang and Zhao Youping, who were among the first batch of state-sponsored young art elites to study in the Soviet Union in the 1950s, leading figures in the Chinese oil painting industry at that time. In a few years, my paintings were not understood, but were praised by the authorities and professionals in the industry, which benefited from the continuous improvement of the concept of social art. 

THREE

Because of the influence of Beijing exhibition, more and more people invited me to exchange painting in universities; I have also had some entrepreneurs support me because they like my paintings. I still remember that when I just started working, my monthly salary was more than 70 yuan, and I needed to spend more than 200 yuan to buy painting materials every month. Sometimes, EVEN the money for meals was very tight, and I needed friends' help to survive. Under the background of education industrialization and college enrollment expansion, many friends around me have set up art training classes one after another. Some friends asked me to substitute for them to earn some extra money. I also had a heart attack. I shielded myself from the interference of the outside world and persisted in my exploration of painting. In retrospect today, that difficult experience was a rare asset. If I had not been so determined at the beginning, it is hard to say what impact the series of exhibitions I made later would have had.

From 1990 onwards, I got to know a number of foreign experts and scholars who came to Work in Shandong. They spoke highly of my paintings, saying that I was different from most Chinese painters and that my works had their own characteristics. These foreign friends often brought their friends to gather together, so that my works in Jinan even had a group of foreign "fans", which made me happy at that time. However, it was in October 2010 that I really caught the attention of foreign countries, when I was invited by the Government of Marseille, France, to hold the exhibition "Sunrise · Marseille" in Marseille. At first, I just held the attitude of trying to communicate with others, but unexpectedly, it caused quite a stir. In the words of a French painter friend, "Not only in the art circle, but all Marseilles were excited by my exhibition.

The Marseille government, as the organizer, has made fifty-five six-meter-high posters for the exhibition, which are erected all over the city. French national TELEVISION, French provence and other mainstream media have also reported; More than 300 guests from all walks of life attended the opening reception of the exhibition, including former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Mayor of Marseille, members of parliament, Consul General of China in Marseille... Guests congratulated me one after another. A French-Chinese who has lived in Marseille for more than 30 years said excitedly, "It is the first time that French people from all walks of life admire a Chinese in this way since he came to France for so many years. I feel very proud and excited at this moment. Such a high-level reception also reflects the recognition and respect of the mainstream western society for a Chinese artist.

According to the statistics of the exhibition hall, the whole exhibition lasted for 22 days and attracted nearly 7,000 visitors, while the maximum number of visitors of other exhibitions at the same time was only 3,000. Photo albums and posters were snapped up, and people lined up to sign their names and take photos. Some visitors came from neighboring cities, and some returned to the exhibition hall with their friends several times after seeing the exhibition. In many people's mind, France is a romantic, pure art country, my work can be so popular in France, it felt like a dream.

I have always believed that the value of painting lies in its own unique painting language. Oil painting is western. As a Chinese painter, I hope to integrate Oriental spirit into oil painting creation through my own exploration and practice, and then form my own language style. It is not to use oil painting techniques to express Chinese landscape painting, or just the tool conversion from ink painting to oil painting, but to explore some more essential things, to form the uniqueness of painting.

If there had been any painter in France with the same style as me, the audience there would not have accepted me as a gentile -- gallic pride made them very strict about art. A French audience once confessed that he had seen many people draw Marseilles, but did not expect that anyone could paint the city so differently. These works were by a foreigner, but there was no such artist in France today, and he felt ashamed to be French.

Due to the influence of the exhibition, I was voted the most popular person in Marseille in an online poll at the end of the year. Aix-y and Winana, Cezanne's hometown, invited me to hold exhibitions one after another. The dean of The Academy of Fine Arts in Marseille invited me to give an academic lecture "Love, Promoting the Progress of Art" for the oil painting Research society of the Academy of Fine Arts in Marseille. My work "Sunrise · Marseille" has also been collected by the Municipal government of Marseille. To show respect for the work, the French side plans to display a French flag on the work during the collection ceremony, which will be unveiled by The Mayor of Marseille, Mr. Godin, which is the highest official courtesy of France. I was very excited to hear the news and suggested that they cover the painting with the Chinese national flag because I am a painter from China. They respected my advice.

Because of the temporary decision, the five-star red flag could not be found. After many difficulties, with the help of a translator, I was able to contact a Chinese student in Aix who had a Chinese national flag, but aix was not close to Marseille. The flag was only delivered to the venue a few minutes before the opening ceremony. Evening nearly 100 marseille elite, celebrities attended the collection ceremony, the five-star red flag became the focus of the activity. In his speech at the ceremony, Mayor Godane said that it is a great honor for Marseille to hold Zhou's exhibition and his work "Sunrise In Marseille" will be permanently displayed in the city hall of Marseille. The five-star red flag at the unveiling ceremony won plaudits for the ceremony.

During the exhibition, I was fortunate to get to know the 82-year-old old artist Guy Dupin, who is an outstanding representative of expressionism in southern France. Although we do not share the same language and age gap, we share the same philosophy and pursuit in the exploration and research of painting. He spoke highly of my work and said, "This kind of picture is just the feeling that many French painters are looking for. I see it in your painting. He was inspired by your work, which combined the appeal of western colors with eastern ideas and perspectives. He invited me to come to the city where he lived to hold a group exhibition of "Interactive Racing" after the exhibition of "Sunrise · Racing". Due to du Peng's influence in South France, the exhibition was very successful. The mayor and mayors and councillors from surrounding cities all came to congratulate and spoke highly of the joint exhibition of Chinese and French artists. At the end of 2011, I invited Mr. Du Peng to hold a joint exhibition "The Light of Marseille" in Beijing. The deputy mayor of Marseille, the secretary general of Marseille and more than 20 people from French academia and business circles attended the opening ceremony. At the opening ceremony, at the request of Mayor Of Marseille, Mr. Godin, Deputy Mayor Of Marseille, Mr. Hamann awarded me the Order of the Honorable Citizen of Marseille in recognition of my contribution to the cultural exchanges between China and France. At the same time, Mr. Andrea Pirlo, director of THE UNESCO Institute for Higher Education, awarded me the BADGE of honorary Membership of THE UNESCO Institute for Higher Education, in recognition of my achievements in painting and educational ideas. Through the joint exhibition, the exchanges between China and France deepened, and China left an unforgettable impression on Du Peng and the French friends accompanying him.

During his stay in Beijing, he drew many sketches; After he returned to France, he made special exhibitions about China, introducing to his friends the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China, as well as what he saw and felt in China: through art, he could break the barriers between races and cultures and create resonance.

FOUR

 Some people do not believe, or even do not want to believe, that I am Chinese: many foreigners have no small prejudice against China. When I was doing interviews in Europe, journalists would often try to induce me to say something radical, and I would respond directly to correct their prejudices. Whenever I meet people who doubt me in interviews or communication, I write "China" clearly on their palm. In recent years, some writers and artists have gone abroad with emotions. Their one-sided opinions have been used by some political groups overseas, and their national image has been damaged for the sake of personal fame and wealth. In my opinion, a real artist should be grateful to his motherland for raising him and focus on painting his own works well. Complaining and complaining actually mean his own ability is insufficient.

I met a German professor at the exhibition. When she saw me, she was a little excited, with tears in her eyes, and told me that this was the third time she had come to my exhibition. Both hands holding my picture album looked at me and said: in the east she most advocate Japanese culture, followed by South Korea, said while taking out a Japanese cosmetics box from the satchel to me. The professor said she visited China in 2008 and was surprised by its development, but not impressed. She was deeply moved by the work of the exhibition, but did not believe it was by A Chinese artist. She admitted that the exhibition had changed her perception of China. Then she asked me to sign on the album as a souvenir, and I wrote: Thank you for communicating with you. I am glad that you have a new understanding of China through art.

When I was in France, I was talking to a friend about this experience: the power of oil painting is so powerful that it can change one's impression of China. The atmosphere of oil painting is better here, where I fully feel people's understanding of works, respect for art, and enthusiasm for artists! There is no shortage of oil painters in France, he told me with a smile. Most of them are not so interested, except you.

At first I thought it was a compliment, but over time I came to realize that they genuinely liked my work. From "Sunrise · Masai" to today, I have more collectors in Europe and America, including the Ferrari family and Pope Francis of The Vatican. When I was doing an exhibition in Italy in 2013, Francis liked one of my paintings with a church in it: Far Light. The work was already in the possession of an Italian collector and passed through the Pope several times.

Also in 2013, I was invited by the Ferragamo family in Italy to attend the ceremony of the Florence Art Foundation. Mr. Ferragamo has offered to collaborate with me on a limited edition silk scarf with my work miles as a motif. Even today, my friends tell me that I often see guests or actors wearing this silk scarf in movies and TV programs in Europe and America. Chateau Garissa is a century-old winery in Provence, France. The winery chose three of my paintings of Provence scenery as the wine label, launched three red wines, and later became one of the state banquet wines at the Elysee Palace. At first I was intrigued by the proliferation of this art into high-end commercial brands, but then IT dawned on me that the artistic value of my work was by no means the only factor driving these collaborations -- and at a time when The global influence of China's economy has never been greater, the label of A Chinese artist has become a good luck charm for me.

In 2015, I became the first Chinese artist under the pen of Claude Dallas, the famous French critic: the bilingual English and French version of his biography of me, Zhou Shichao, was released in Paris. Back in 2012, when he told me that he wanted to write a biography of me, I quickly refused, thinking that my achievements could not be compared with those of the masters he had written. The Chinese take this matter very seriously! I know How much Dallas admires my work, and I'm afraid it might affect his objective judgment about writing my biography. Then he said to me: First of all, he affirmed the quality and influence of my work. Second, there are few biographies of Chinese artists in France and even Europe. In today's international trend, it is popular to play the "China card", he believes that a book in the form of biographical biography, showing the artistic process of an excellent Chinese painter, will attract attention. Then write it. In November 2013, Claude Dallas, a French critic in his late seventies, came to China for the first time. He spent two years in Qingdao, Jinan and Beijing, where I grew up, lived and worked, gathering material for my first biography.

In October 2016, I was invited to hold a solo exhibition at Monaco Yacht Club. Founded by Monaco's royal family, this club is one of the top clubs in the world, and its members are all European noble families. I think it is a good platform to show Chinese culture through works. At the opening reception, the host introduced the guests one by one, who were elites and representatives in various fields. In his speech, the president of the club stressed that the exhibition was of special significance: it was the first solo exhibition held by the club since its establishment, and I was also the first Chinese artist they invited to hold an exhibition. At the opening dinner, guests not only talked with me about Chinese culture and art, but also talked about their experiences and experiences related to China. The evening was fitting for the theme of my show, "Golden Hour."

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, China's rapid development in various fields has created a "golden era" for Chinese culture to go abroad and face the world. Mutual respect and recognition between countries not only depend on economic exchanges: economic cooperation is built on the basis of interests, and the deepest respect for a nation comes from the recognition of its culture and character. Today, as China's international influence is increasing day by day, the prosperity of culture and art has become an important symbol of the rise of the nation, attracting more and more attention from the world. As a Chinese artist, I am very proud of this. I hope China's excellent art and culture can continue to go abroad, so that the world can truly know a beautiful and strong China.

June 30, 2018

Zhou Shichao