Only Paint What You Want to Paint

He Jianning

 

(From left to right) He Jianning sketching with his son and Dong Yidian in suburban Guangzhou (August, 2014)

 

It is fate that brings people together. Although I’ve been in Guangzhou for many years and am visited by friends from my hometown almost every day, there are not many of them who are also artists, except Dong Yidian.

 

Dong Yidian and I hang out a lot. I am always pleased to see his passion in as well as devotion to art. He told me one day that he’s going to rent a studio in a village. I was shocked: you can work wherever you like--- but in a village? You have worked your way out of the village you come from. Why would you want to go to another? However, I trust him on his decisions in life. After a while, he invited us to his new studio in the village. When we got there, we were impressed: it was nothing like being a peasant in the village as we thought before. It was totally something a “landlord” would have had--- and I’m talking about a rich landlord! It was a huge and detached temple, quaint and refined. There was even a well in the courtyard, which would get many jealous. No wonder...

 

TPA staff shooting at Dong Yidian's studio

 

Looking at Dong’s recent work, my first feeling was: such devotion to art is too much. He works fast and is highly prolific. He doesn’t focus on just one piece of work, but rather uses a series to talk about a same topic, and he’s doing a great job. He knows that good work comes from a considerable amount of practice, so such volume of work is necessary, and great work results.

 

After a while, some friend from Denmark showed interest in his work; after another while, his pieces were selected for a big show... Such exciting news kept coming to me. I know that more fun is on the way, and I’m sure you will keep up the good work...

 

Dong Yidian is a prolific artsist 

 

It’s not important where you work, nor what you work on, and least of all: what people think of you or your work. What’s important, however, is knowing what you are doing and what you want to work on as an artist. We felt good when we were in the village; it feels good to be a “villager”. No wonder Chairman Mao once said: the countryside is a big world where great things can happen.

 

Canvas is used to seal the studio window and the back shows Dong Yidian's name in Chinese

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He Jianning is a renowned Hainan artist in Guangzhou, classified as a first class national level qualification Chinese artist. He’s published more than 60 collections of his work. In 2014, the Élysée Palace collected his piece “Dancing to the Music”.