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In 1991, He Yunchang graduated from Yunnan University of the Arts with a major in oil painting, and with his outstanding painting talent and exquisite skills, he should have shined in this field, climbed to the pinnacle of his career, and won the highest honors.
After all, his masterpiece "Glorious Times" was successfully selected for the 8th National Art Exhibition, and another masterpiece "Appointment for Tomorrow" won the bronze medal in the 9th National Art Exhibition, and a bright future is beckoning to him enthusiastically.
However, in this year, He Yunchang made a decision that shocked everyone - he resolutely resigned from his stable job and stepped into the challenging and arduous road of performance art without hesitation.
Despite his family's strong opposition, his deep love and dedication to art has surpassed all else.
For He Yunchang, a single oil painting creation can no longer satisfy his strong desire for free swaying. As an artist, he has both a deep love for the world and a deep question.
The expression of paint and canvas is too single and narrow, and he is eager to find a more direct and broader artistic language to express his inner contradictions and thoughts, so he firmly chooses performance art as a new way of creation.
In 1993, He Yunchang officially bid farewell to the workplace and devoted himself to the vast ocean of performance art. In the capital Beijing, this ordinary young man from Yunnan began to write a new chapter of his life.
Despite the embarrassment of life, he is full of joy and satisfaction in his heart, and he is full of anticipation and excitement for a new path of performance art, because he firmly believes that this is his most sincere and pure pursuit of art.
In 1999, He Yunchang created his iconic work "Golden Sunshine". The work was inspired by a suicide that he had personally experienced, and he was deeply touched and difficult to calm down.
So, he decided to soothe people's wounded hearts with a piece full of warmth.
Beyond the high walls of a prison, He Yunchang hung himself there, his whole body covered in golden paint, like the color of the wall in the sun. Holding a mirror in his hand, he struggled to constantly reflect the sunlight into the gloomy interior of the prison.
The thrilling performance lasted 127 minutes, and Mr. Ho Yunchang's skin was soaked with thick paint, and he even fell into a deep coma twice. However, like the indomitable Prometheus, he always sticks to the center stage with the belief of bringing light and hope to the dark world.
When we look up at the artist from below, we can't help but feel an irrepressible sense of heroism.
In the same year, Master He Yunchang once again performed with passion and created another masterpiece "Dialogue with Water". On the mighty river, he clutched a razor-sharp knife that cut a staggering 4,500 meters across the water, leaving a shocking wound on his arm.
Mr. He Yunchang's blood quietly melted into the river, and the two elements that were originally opposed to each other presented a harmonious beauty beyond imagination.
Immediately afterwards, Master He Yunchang stood opposite the high-pressure water gun with fearless courage, naked and fearless to meet the violent impact of the water gun. This is undoubtedly an elegy full of tragedy, showing how small and powerless human beings are in the struggle against the world, but they still choose to resist to the end.
Just like the legend of Yugong moving mountains, he knows that the ending has been decided, but he still has to do his best and never give up.
In 2003, Master He Yunchang created the world-famous performance art work "Letter of Holding the Pillar". He cleverly borrowed the fable from the "Zhuangzi" and used cement to closely connect his arms to the bridge pillars, interpreting his firm belief in love with practical actions.
A year later, the work was further sublimated and evolved into "Casting", in which Master He Yunchang completely enclosed his entire body in the concrete, an extreme act that lasted for a full 24 hours, and when he finally broke free from the cement, his body was numb, but deep down he was full of strength and dignity.
In 2008, Master Ho Yun Cheong once again shocked the world when he plucked one of his ribs and carved it into a necklace weighing 1,200 grams of gold as a precious gift to his loved ones.
"Eve is the embodiment of a rib that God has taken from Adam", Master Ho Yun Cheong expressed his unique understanding of pure love in this extreme way.
Whenever He Yunchang meticulously creates and launches a new performance artwork, it inevitably leads to fierce controversy and widespread criticism. Many people did not shy away from denouncing him for nothing more than winning the public's attention through exaggerated performances, and was even labeled crazy, irresponsible, and self-harming.
In particular, he deserves to be mentioned and controversial in 2010 for his work "One Meter of Democracy". In this work, He Yunchang orchestrated a unique "democratic voting" activity, inviting 25 audience members to make a 1-meter-long and 1-centimeter-deep cut of his body without anesthesia.
Although He Yunchang bravely surrendered his body completely to the control of others, after this "democratic vote", 12 people voted in favor, expressing their willingness to support such an act of cutting him.
With the assistance of professionals, this deep wound was "exquisitely" carved on He Yunchang's body. Since he had not been treated under anesthesia, He Yunchang's painful moans were intertwined with the struggling figure, and the bright red blood quickly soaked and stained the sheets under him, and finally all the hustle and bustle returned to silence.
This "democratic experiment" is undoubtedly a serious question of the democratic system itself, and at the same time, it is also an in-depth analysis and ruthless revelation of the ugly human nature in society. It has been suggested that He Yunchang skillfully plays two roles here—the adjudicator and the adjudicated, who is not only one of the victims of this "democracy", but also a mockery of the system, and a direct demonstration of the dark side of human nature.
This radical performance art creation technique has made He Yunchang bear the notoriety of "madman". Many critics have questioned whether his work is truly artistic, or simply seeking to stimulate the senses and visually impact.
In the face of these doubts, He Yunchang has always maintained an unwavering attitude, and he has his own unique artistic concept and persistent pursuit.
Despite being criticized and questioned, He Yunchang has never wavered in his love and persistence for performance art. In his view, performance art is the most direct, honest and primitive form of artistic expression, which does not need any pretension and packaging, and only needs to present the artist's inner feelings and unique insights in their original form, which can bring a strong spiritual shock and endless thinking space to the audience.
That kind of deep persistence and firm perseverance are vividly reflected in He Yunchang's daily life. Although he had already enjoyed a certain amount of prestige, he never owned a house or a car, and often had to borrow money to survive.
However, he firmly believes that the simple living environment can stimulate his innovative thinking and unlimited potential in artistic creation, and every penny he earns is invested in the deep pursuit of spiritual investment, such as the collection of ancient treasures, the purchase of priceless ancient seals, and so on.
In the face of many doubts and criticisms from all walks of life, He Yunchang never took it to heart, he just lived sincerely in his own unique way to practice the ardent desire in his heart.
It is this unparalleled passion for art and unyielding perseverance that has won him high recognition and appreciation from the majority of people in the art world.
Many performance art researchers generally believe that He Yunchang is undoubtedly a pioneer and staunch defender of Chinese performance art. Since the 80s of the 20th century, he has been an important force in promoting the vigorous development of Chinese performance art.
From the passionate and energetic creative style in the early stage to the introverted and calm artistic realm in the later period, He Yunchang has always adhered to the essence of art and interpreted the purest pursuit of art with practical actions.
It is no exaggeration to say that under the tremendous impact of commercial capital, when many people are chasing the superficial glitz and excitement of performance art, He Yunchang is an outstanding representative of performance art returning to its original intention.
His life is an affectionate call and inheritance of the pure spirit of performance art, a firm watchman on the road of artistic development, no matter how many doubts and temptations from the outside world he faces, he has never wavered in the slightest, always art for art's sake, and compose his own glorious chapter in his own unique way.