As we all feel, the world in which we live is changing at an unprecedented pace. Correspondingly, the forms of art and trends in contemporary art change very quickly too. In the midst of it, it is almost impossible to stay with a single medium and going against the status quo in contemporary art. Despite that, since my mother who was an aspiring painter gave me a name with art in it when it’s written in Chinese characters, I have dedicated myself to painting over the last 17 years. Having been a painter, as well as merely an admirer of great paintings by masters from the past, I have always wanted to honour them and honour the history of painting. As many great artists and writers began their journey by imitating their heroes, I also started my journey by being a hero worshipper. From Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Jan Van Eyck, to Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko and Willem De Kooning, the sources of my inspiration vary in their eras and cultures. Yet one thing which remains unchanged is to worship their mastery and artistry, and keep admiring their endeavour to invent and innovate by visiting and learning from the past. Hence, my paintings often comment on the history of painting and the history of art itself, and depicted with influences of the cosmopolitan urban culture and human technology that have had an inevitable influence on me. I wish my paintings to represent my honour and admiration to the history of art, as well as the history of humanity. |
