The impression of Li Zijian seems to stay forever in his youth.
The teenager who carried a picture clip, went everywhere to study, climbed the train, and watched the art exhibition.
The art ranger who carried his bags to study in the United States, took a plane, and took a sea cruiser.
The internationally renowned artist who carries paintings and travels the world, showcasing the theme of "humanity and love".
All this stems from my initial understanding of Li Zijian, a township brother. Because we haven't met before.
Seeing Li Zijian is a matter of recent years. Although he is over sixty years old and has two gray sideburns, he is still so dusty and dusty, like a teenager full of youth and vitality.
Li Zijian's life experience can be described as legendary, and every turn can create miracles.
As a teenager, he suffered too much because of his family background; a little older, because of his love of art, experienced too many twists and turns. However, "poor and strong, do not fall into the ambition of the clouds." After resuming the college entrance examination, he was admitted to the Oil Painting Department of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and became an excellent student.
After graduation, he was assigned to work at the Changsha Mass Culture Center and met his beautiful and talented wife, Dan Hui. Talented and beautiful, enviable. But he was not satisfied with the status quo, and for the sake of a greater pursuit, he tried every means to go to the United States for further study. In the end, he finally became a great instrument and became a great painter with international reputation. During his decades in the United States, he has been awarded the ORDER of the Knight of the Literary (Artistic) Order of the Global Alliance for Public Welfare by UNESCO, the Chinese Medal for Special Contributions to International Peace, and numerous international medals. His famous oil painting "Nanjing Massacre" and so on, well-known in the world. His "Human Nature and Love" theme exhibition has been exhibited in more than 70 exhibitions in more than 30 countries and regions on 6 continents around the world, with a total of more than 3.5 million global audiences, with a wide impact and warm response.
In March 2018, Mr. Li Zijian was awarded the Knight of the Order of Culture (Arts) by the United Nations Global Philanthropy Alliance
There is a way is "the birds love the old forest, the pond fish think of the old yuan", after many years of wandering overseas, although he has achieved fame and clothing, he often misses the motherland and dreams of his hometown.
This led to the intention of returning.
Why go back?
"I am Chinese, and I always have to go back to serve the motherland and serve my hometown."
"At the very least, you can make an art museum and collect your own works and exhibit them for everyone to see."
As early as the 1990s, When Li Zijian was touring the world, he had such a wish. At that time, the art museum in his mind was a small house, like the personal art gallery of some well-known Painters in Europe.
In 2000, when he first returned to Changsha to hold an exhibition, this wish suddenly had a direction - this art museum must be built in Changsha.
In 2010, when he returned to Changsha for his second solo exhibition, together with the famous musician Tan Dun, he chose several places in Changsha Martyrs Park, Yuelu Mountain, three halls and one hall at the confluence of the Xiangjiang River and Liuyang River, and Meixi Lake, but did not find a suitable place.
At the end of 2013, after the end of the "HumanIty and Love" world tour exhibition, Li Zijian returned to Changsha again and took a fancy to Yanghu, a place near the Xiang River. In the report he wrote to the Changsha Municipal Government on the application for the establishment of the museum, he revealed his heart: Building an art museum in Changsha is my ideal of art to serve the country. This museum will be built into a public welfare art museum, which will be open to the public and the public for free forever. Full
The report was quickly approved, and the museum began to be prepared in full swing.
The year was 2014, and Li Zijian was just 60 years old.
On May 28 of that year, the art museum laid the foundation stone in The Xiangjiang New District of Changsha City. Leaders of Hunan Province and Changsha City, together with cultural celebrities such as Master Xingyun and Tan Dun, dug the first shovel for the art museum.
The planned construction area of the art museum is more than 16,000 square meters, with an investment of 100 million yuan, and is expected to be completed in three years. However, in the construction process, whether it is the construction area or the investment of funds, it is far more than expected, and the construction period is greatly shortened.
During the construction stage of the art museum, Li Zijian, a painter in his sixties, visited the construction site from beginning to end, personally did his own work, and devoted himself to the construction of the art museum.
All this stems from Li Zijian's wholehearted devotion.
During the construction of the art museum, he did not stop painting, but painted more, better, and more largely. "The dream of the art museum" requires him to do so! He radiates an amazing energy like never before, which is a kind of "dream chasing" power! In addition to the dripping time of creation, he always came to the site of the construction site, wore a hard hat, went deep into every corner of the construction site, personally participated in the whole process of the construction project, mingled with the workers, people who did not know him, and thought that he was a construction worker.
In Li Zijian's eyes, the paintings he usually paints are "small paintings", and only this art museum is his "big painting".
Li Zijian grew up in Shaoyang City, Hunan, Shaoyang was formerly known as Baoqing Province, Shaoyang people are known as "Baogu Lao", which contains many meanings such as hard work, hard work, and perseverance.
Li Zijian is such a "Baogu Guy", he rushes to the construction site every day, shortening the entire construction period by a whole year.
In 620 days, in less than two years, Li Zijian built an art museum with an area of 25,000 square meters, including exhibition halls, concert halls, international book houses, spiritual spaces, and restaurants. It must be said that this is a miracle.
To complete the entire art museum, it took 200 million yuan of funds, which was more than twice the original budget.
On October 1, 2016, the museum was inaugurated and opened to the public free of charge.
On July 16, 2017, the Lee ZiJian Art Museum was certified as "the world's largest artist's personal art museum" by the British World Records Certification Agency (WRCA).
At the awarding ceremony, Li Zijian said passionately: "How much price do we pay for this museum, sometimes it is really tearful, where does our strength come from?" It is from this red flag behind us, it is from this Xiang River, our mother river, our great motherland. This museum is always open to the general public and is open for free. We use it to spread the positive energy of art, and use it to realize our ambition of using art to serve the country and benefit our hometown. ”
On a large stone on the shore of Swan Lake in the art museum, the inscription of Li Zijian and his wife Danhui is engraved: "This museum is dedicated to the beloved hometown and people!" ”
This is a unique art museum!
On the banks of the beautiful Xiang River, there stands a modern art building with a square outer circle and a unique shape. She is close to the Xiangjiang River, backed by Yanghu Wetland Park, choosing clear water as a neighbor, accompanied by green trees, lake and mountains, sparkling and colorful. The beautiful natural environment, special shape design, coupled with the rich and colorful content of the exhibition, attract thousands of tourists every day. It has not only become a good place for people to watch exhibitions and relax on holidays, but also a cultural landmark in Xiangjiang New District of Changsha City.
After the construction of the art museum, Li Zijian did not stop his pace. That is to hold various exhibitions.
Since its opening, in addition to Li Zijian's regular exhibition of "Human Nature and Love", in the past few years, the museum has held a total of 35 short-term exhibitions, including "German International Art Giants - Kiefer Art Exhibition", "Witnessing the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up - Nishikawa and His Students Art Exhibition", "Chinese Painting Giants - Qi Baishi Authentic Treasures Exhibition", "Chinese Modern and Contemporary Chinese Painting Masters Authentic Works Exhibition", "Liu Kaiqu and the Twentieth Century Chinese Art Exhibition", "West to East - Realistic Oil Painting Exhibition of Chinese Painters in the United States" and so on.
On November 20, 2017, Li Zijian handed over the art museum and his entire life to the Changsha municipal government, becoming the "curator" who did not receive a penny of salary. Every year, the government allocates corresponding funds to support the operation of the art museum.
"I'm a lifelong volunteer!" When Li Zijian sees a friend or accompanies the audience, he will always say this out loud. This volunteer curator eats and lives in the art museum every day, and together with the staff, everything is too big or small to worry about.
On January 25, 2020, the first day of the Chinese New Year, the traditional Chinese New Year, Li Zijian, who is busy all year round, had a rare few days of vacation and started a 6-day overseas vacation.
However, he never expected that these 6 days would become 6 months!
On February 1, after a brief trip to the Maldives and the Kingdom of Jordan, Li Zijian was unable to return to China due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. He made an impromptu decision to fly to the Kingdom of Morocco, known to the world as the "back garden of Europe."
Soon, morocco also had an epidemic and suspended flights back home.
Li Zijian, who is accustomed to "settling down with the encounter", faces reality, acts against the trend, simply dives into his heart, camps and villages, and paints and practices.
The old man talked about juvenile madness, and at the age of 66, he returned to the overseas solitary life he had at the beginning of his stay in the United States more than 30 years ago. Like a teenager in school, he took care of the housework, did the laundry and cooked. Painting oil paintings during the day and drawing at night, immersed in their own art world, do not feel lonely.
On July 7, with the help of the Chinese Embassy in Morocco, he finally embarked on a voyage back to China with more than 100 paintings painted during his stay in North Africa.
It's so nice to feel back home!
On December 19, the "2020 158 Days of Trapped In North Africa Li Zijian 100 Sketch Oil Painting Exhibition" opened at the art museum.
The exhibition presents 32 character sketches, 77 oil paintings, and rich and authentic journey pictures during his 158 days in Morocco, North Africa, leading the audience and friends into a new art world and feeling the extraordinary struggle of the painter trapped overseas.
This is another legend of Li Zijian, the "teenager" who broke into Kyushu.
The encounter between two painters - teacher Li Zijian and teacher Liu Hongzhou
If li zijian still has a few days to take a holiday during the Spring Festival in 2020, then this year's Spring Festival is the busiest for Li Zijian. Because just after the new year, he began to prepare a special exhibition.
On February 6, 2021, on the 25th day of the 12th lunar month, just after the New Year, a veteran artist, Mr. Liu Hongzhou, came to the Li Zijian Art Museum to visit the exhibition.
After watching the exhibition, Li Zijian met Liu Hongzhou under the introduction of his second sister Li Sujun.
Liu Hongzhou is nearly eighty years old, white-haired, fairy wind Dao bone, living in his hometown of Xiangxi Phoenix all year round, immersed in creation. Although Li Zijian is younger, his common feelings and pursuit of art make them feel that they see each other and hate each other.
In the words of Li Zijian, "We see each other as we are, and we feel sorry for each other." Open a beautiful copy of "Liu Hongzhou Painting Collection" that he brought with him, sigh and praise, the guilt suddenly arises, such a profound local painter in Huxiang, I and the people around me, do not even know his name, do not know his works, deeply guilty, regret! The old man is indifferent to fame and fortune, and can endure loneliness in order to create so many works that are extraordinary and amazing. He interpreted China's national essence to the fullest! ”
As the director of the art museum, a strong sense of cultural responsibility and mission made Li Zijian immediately make a decision: in the spring of the Year of the Ox, the "Liu Hongzhou Works Exhibition" will be held grandly.
Li Zijian was a fierce person, and immediately called several people from the exhibition department to eat a working meal while arranging tasks. Because the day after tomorrow is going to be a holiday, they need to quickly make plans and design advertisements, and arrange exhibition arrangements.
The next morning, Li Zijian personally led five people to the home of Teacher Liu Hongzhou on the shore of the Moon Lake to see the works and determine the exhibition plan. Through sand table deduction, they adjust and modify the exhibition plan at any time to try to be perfect.
In the words of the staff of the art museum, Li Zijian regarded this exhibition as his own exhibition, except that he could not paint for Teacher Liu, and he took care of all other exhibition affairs.
On March 20, 2021, the "Liu Hongzhou Works Exhibition" was grandly opened at the Li Zijian Art Museum, with 238 works of art covering 4 halls, which amazed all the leaders, artists and audiences present.
From the decision to hold the exhibition to the launch, it only took 42 days, which also included the Spring Festival holiday, which can be said to be "Li Zijian speed".
Only Li Zijian can create this miracle, because he is a "teenager".
Liang Qichao wrote in "The Story of Young China" that "the wisdom of the youth is the wisdom of the country", "the youth is strong and the country is strong", "the red sun rises at the beginning, and its road is bright", "the future is like the sea, and the coming to Japan is long".
To say that Li Zijian is a teenager, first, he has the original intention of a teenager, and the original heart of his persistent pursuit of art has never changed; second, he has the feelings and vitality of a teenager, the tree of art, and he will always maintain his youth; the third is that he has a fiery patriotic feeling, returning to his hometown from old age, serving the motherland, just like a young man.
Run, boy!
About the Author
Fan Cheng is a member of the Chinese Writers Association, the China Prose Literature Association, and a senior editor of Hunan Radio and Television Station. He has published a collection of essays, "Reading Xiangxi", "Kunshan Countryside", "Walking and Playing Xiangxi", "Phoenix: Those People, Those Things", "Xiangxi Under the Stilts", etc.
Source: Shaoyang Literary and Art Review