Like an European painter deeply influenced by the style of 19th century; with preference to the life of Yi nationality, took special trips to the remote areas in south China, composing the scenes of wedding and funeral of Yi nationality and created the two huge painting series.
In his words, he’s the generation of artists dedicated in oil painting. The Yi nationality in mountain areas has been living in a cultural state before the industrialization, which was unfamiliar to Mr. Cheng. It’s obvious that he has two different angles in observing the Yi nationality: the angle of European art and the view of a tourist with great curiosity.
In the paintings, there are people at the same size of the real who look lively and vigorous with the sculpture-like expression way, while the crowds are constantly interrupted by the inserted pictures, which reminds people of the spatial signs of the universe and the primitive and rudiment lives.
The people in the mountains following the traditional way of life are revealing an eternal theme with their wedding and funeral, which is, the death and a new start. The theme gets common to people through the symbolic inserted pictures. As Mr. Cheng says, he’s looking for a new form of art and way of show, and as to the art, it’s neither purely western nor completely eastern. The series of paintings are not only an attempt in art scale, but rare and attractive as artworks.
Art Critic: Wendel in Zimmer
Translate from Osnabrück Daily, May 25, 1992.
Neue Osanbruck Zeitung |
