---- A Glimpse of Liu Maoshan’s Works

 

Sun Ke

 

 

 

Suzhou, side of the Tai Lake, has been an enchanting scenic spot since ancient time. There is an old saying that the transcendent Mother Nature nurtures natural talents. As we all know, at Suzhou, numerous world famous painters and /or artists were born in history. The Wu’s school of Chinese painting originated in Suzhou, was well-known throughout the country 500 years ago. Among the contemporary painters in Jiangsu, Mr. Liu Maoshan, the vice-president of Suzhou Academy of Chinese Painting, is a famous landscape painter with a refreshing and distinctive style, widely recommended by the connoisseurs both at home and abroad.

 

Mr. Liu Maoshan, born in 1942, is a graduate from the Suzhou Institute of Arts and Crafts. In his early career, he devoted himself to western paintings with a profound knowledge of the works completed by western classical masters as well as those of impressionism. Later on, he turned his research direction towards the study and creation of Chinese landscape paintings and became a professional painter of the Suzhou Academy of Chinese Painting. Being a native of Suzhou, Liu Maoshan, not only loves dearly its landscape and scenic spots, but also has developed a profound understanding of the water country in Jiangnan, and Suzhou’s humanity, history and culture. The works accomplished in his early times were inspired by the gardens and woods of Suzhou, and they are refreshing, lyrical and versatile in nature. In late 1980’s, his painting style came across with several changes. He endeavored to embody different and contrasting concepts into his paintings, such as to emphasize the sense of unity and consolidation from details and triviality; to bring out the power and vigor out of the tranquility and delicacy. Under his splendid utilization of both bold and subtle brushstrokes, the black tiles and white walls, the refreshing beauty as well as the lustrous charm unique to Jiangnan Water Village, became lively in the paintings. This is especially ideal for the portrayal of March scenery in Jiangnan with the long glass, oriole-flying clear sky or foggy morning. It is obvious that the affection of the artist for his home town is vividly and perfectly expressed.

 

The formation of an art style often comes from such factors as the subjective environment in which the artist lives, his own temperament, his practical cultivation, his teachers and school. Being an artist native to Suzhou, the beautiful environment, the old and profound culture, and the integrated Chinese and Western art education have undoubtedly contributed to Liu Maoshan’s aestheticism, the strong folk nature and country-style, thus giving his works a touch of moving appeal. Besides, his works project the image of Tai Hu from the selection of subject matters, manipulation of means of art, to cultivation of ambience, therefore are widely acclaimed by experts in the art field and gain popularity among the public.

 

Liu Maoshan is not content with these. Furthermore, he has completed a series of works conducted in foreign countries since early 1990’s. So far as his arts are concerned, he has opened a new frontier and gained a new altitude. He has visited Japan, Western Europe, Russia, the United States, etc. The scenic spots of foreign countries gave him inspirations so as to make new developments in his artistic creation. He uses traditional Chinese brush and ink to paint exotic European scenery. The solid skill of realism, the mastery of hues of impressionism, the composition inspired by traditional Chinese painting philosophy of wisely manipulating the vagueness and fullness, altogether with the lively and diverse brushstrokes, a wonderful glamorous world of combining Eastern spiritual idealism and Western corporeal realism is born. Through explicitly and realistically delineating the European architecture, which has a certain richness and fullness in its contour line, and vivid yet harmonious colour tone, Liu convincingly proved that Chinese painters’ level of skill and expertise are absolutely not less than that of western famous painters. The intriguing blank criss-crossed by spontaneous trees further add a lively nuance to the picture, otherwise being monotonous and lifeless. Therefore, it is without doubt that Liu’s works are admired and welcomed by the viewers at home and abroad.

 

It is expected that he will continuously introduce his inspiring exquisite works.

 

(Sun Ke: renowned art critic, editorial committee member of “Fine Arts” Magazine, and Secretary General of Chinese Painting Committee, Chinese Artists’ Association)