Interview with the artistic old rascal Xiao Dayuan--My game, as long as it’s fun（two）

His Image:

Wearing a casual shirt, with slightly messy hair and a kind, gentle smile, he seems like an ordinary elderly man—yes, a 80-year-old man.

But, once you start talking to him about art, about creation, his eyes immediately light up. Every wrinkle on his face seems to come alive. He may even stand up, gesturing passionately to demonstrate the scenes from his painting process.

When you ask him how he evaluates himself, he laughs proudly and raises his thumb to point at himself: “I am the greatest painter!”

That pride and confidence are like those of a pure child.

He is truly an “artistic old rascal!”

He is very lucky:

Born into a family of calligraphers and painters, his grandfather was the famous “Wenzhi President” Xu Shichang’s secretary. In his childhood memories, his grandfather’s home in Tianjin was adorned with works by renowned artists of the time, such as Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian.

But he has lived through the turbulent periods of the Republic of China, the founding of the People’s Republic, the decade-long cultural upheaval, and the era of reform and opening up. The bittersweet experiences he’s had are beyond imagination for those who haven’t lived through them. These experiences have become stories for him, told with calm composure that comes from years of reflection.

He is a genius:

He is adept at both oil painting and Chinese painting, proficient in poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving, having won countless awards from childhood onward. Yet, he refuses to follow conventions. He is always striving for innovation, which led him to establish the “Xingxing Painting Association,” raising the banner for the openness of art. Even if it meant being blacklisted, he continued to pursue artistic experimentation, focusing solely on that and maintaining a passionate dedication to his craft.

He is very international:

His artistic innovations transcend the times, and his works have won numerous accolades in international exhibitions. Just when everyone thought he would follow the path of internationalization like his artistic friends of that era, he made a sudden turn and devoted himself to the path of art decoration. Despite traveling across mountains and rivers, he still holds a deep love for the land beneath his feet, the family by his side, and the culture and spirit ingrained in his very bones.

He says:

“What’s wrong with the forms of ‘hybridity,’ ‘fusion,’ and ‘mutation’? Some people fear losing their way and not being able to find their home. But I believe that only through immense tolerance and the broadest understanding of the world can we come to a deeper understanding of ourselves. Art that stays within its own confines will eventually lose its value, because it doesn’t recognize its own worth. Only through openness, by embracing everything, can we truly come to understand who we are. There is no need to shout, to be hasty, or to fear losing something—because it is closest to us, living among us, and it’s in our very blood. A culture that loses its origin and self-confidence will wither into rubbish. We have enough confidence to embrace foreign artistic concepts and systems, and enough wisdom to integrate modern artistic features with our national heritage in perfect harmony. This has been the history of China, and it will continue to be in the future.”

“Modern art and fashion consumer culture are gradually merging, and the boundaries between painting and decoration are becoming increasingly blurred, leading people to feel that ‘painting is beginning to disappear.’However, these are merely extensions of painting forms in this era. Just as people view consumption as a form of entertainment, painting itself is an entertaining process. Painting continues to joyfully move between the rational and the irrational.”

                                                                                                                              — Xiao Dayuan

The Pure Artist

A true artist must possess artistic talent, including an abundance of emotions beyond the ordinary, a unique sense of aesthetics, and an imagination more powerful than most. The artist must also have a spirit of creation, with a focus on the emotional experience of creativity and an even greater emphasis on the joy found in the creative process. An artist carries within them a strong sense of transformation and a devoted spirit of dedication. Furthermore, an artist must possess personal refinement, artistic cultivation, and cultural awareness—these are the solid foundations of artistic creation. An artist must also have specialized artistic skills, mastering the language and techniques of a specific art form.

These qualities are perfectly embodied in Mr. Xiao Dayuan.

He admires the words of the abstract expressionist painter Klein: “Like Pollock, an artist should not paint in others’ ways. You must observe your own life and find the things you must paint. You should paint what you cannot help but paint, for that is your life itself. It is an uncontrollable process.”

He was once a genius oil painter and Chinese painter, with works that won multiple national awards. However, after painting overly concrete images for a long time, he felt a tremendous sense of restriction, unable to release the nameless fire within him. It was only through spontaneous splashing, line-drawing, collage, and playful experimentation that he could find greater satisfaction and pleasure. After several weeks or months of such creation, he would return to reality, feeling the air unusually fresh and the sky exceptionally clear. Soon, he would feel an inexplicable impulse, realizing that only through abstract and semi-abstract creative experiments could he alleviate this inner tension. For him, creation was as necessary as eating or sleeping—something he never stopped doing for decades.

In his creative process, he simply follows a simple, pre-determined daily routine and procedure, attempting to consciously or subconsciously smear, splatter, and layer freely on paper, guided by the needs of the form. This resembles the process of “formal automatism” in painting. During the experimental phase, his state of mind was sometimes semi-conscious, such as imagining himself as a fish swimming freely in the water or as a Spanish woman dancing to music on paper, leaving various traces behind. He also conducted numerous experiments, inviting different friends to create in the same setting and using the same methods, only to find that each person’s work still exhibited significant differences. Months passed, years passed, and when he reexamined these works, he was amazed to realize that they reflected his life. The more the traces left in an unconscious state, the more accurately they expressed the most important and touching emotions of his life.