Zhiwei Tu and His Huge Epic Paintings

By Yan Sun, Art Professor of Muskingum College, USA

Adapted from a translation of the Introduction to the new book "Zhiwei Tu and His Huge Epic Paintings"

(Tianjin People's Fine Arts Publishing House: 2006)

Zhiwei Tu uses his paint brushes to turn some of history's greatest epic moments into paintings of extraordinary power and depth. They are a brilliant contribution to the world's culture and art.

The compilation of murals entitled "Body Language" includes a series of paintings by Zhiwei Tu based on nearly thirty years of tireless research into the culture and history of China. These enormous oil paintings use unique figural images, creative motifs, and an impressive spirit to express not only his emotions, but also the emotions of all the subjects we see. Viewers are quickly fascinated with Ziwei TuÌ's paintings because of the strong visual and auditory forces represented by the historical scene and his profound philosophic ideas.

The painting "Hands, Raft, Yellow River" depicts struggling against the Yellow River. Workers are caught on a wooden raft in the middle of the surging Yellow River, one of China's oldest and most well known rivers. Tu has put the focus on the physical bodies of the workers, showing every tension in every muscle as they fight against time and tide to turn the gigantic rudder. In a metaphorical sense, Tu has also shown the struggle against the concept of fate, and conveys a sad melody of the Chinese people.

Viewers often hear the roar of water coming from the gorge of the river. The artist has clearly expressed his rich, lofty sentiments through the subject matter of the Yellow River, interpreting these visuals into a perfection unlike any other.

"Backs, the Great Wall, the Moon" represents the people carrying a nation on their shoulders, a solemn and stirring moment in Chinese history. With the emperor's demands for a monument that cries out to the rest of the world, these workers fight against time in order to reach a deadline that will never come.

The painting is overcast in a blue tone to suggest the moonlight shining off the sweat of their shoulders as they drag the bricks that eventually will build the foundation for one of the most powerful empires in the history of the world. Truly, they are bearing the spirit of an entire nation on their backs. After thousands of years of dedicated work, this monument they created became known as the Great Wall, forever a symbol of the strength and unity of China.

"Heads, Books, Pit" shows Tu's conception of the first political cleansing by the first emperor of China, Qinshihuang. During this period in Chinese history, fearful of the prospect of revolution, the Chinese empire disposed of all intellect across the land. Books filled with knowledge were burnt to ashes and their authors were buried alive.

Even if these scholars never had a chance to speak their last words, Tu's style of painting has given them voice. Using his abstractions, visual images and strong contrast in this colossal painting, he reaches out to viewers and makes those voices heard once more, reminding them of the rich and epic history China has endured.

"Feet, Troops and Horses, the Earth" recreates the Qin military forces and their never-ending goal of overcoming all obstacles in hopes of achieving unity. As Qin's forces stormed across the land, they conquered all neighboring states and eventually brought them all together to form a strong nation. The red, fiery overtones of the army are a symbol of Qinshihuang's prevailing ambition, which helped him hold ground against the barbarians of the north and eventually become the first emperor to have command over one unified land.

"Dancers, Bells, Ancient Music" is a vision that uses the sounds of music to convey its meaning. Tu was inspired by the ancient bells and woodwind instruments that were unique to Chinese musical tradition over two thousand years ago. As a contrast to the other paintings in this series, the painting represents something aside from the chaotic events in Chinese history: the peace that did exist. With his choice of visual and artistic shapes and colors, Tu is able to successfully highlight the time period when joy and prosperity was a common motif of everyday life.

Zhiwei Tu's art is a flower that has blossomed from the fertile soil of Chinese cultural. His ideas rest on the foundation of courage and volition, conveyed with amazing talent to his audience with his brushes and paint. He is a well known and respected painter in both western and eastern cultures, and is widely honored by artists in each. At the height of career he now finds himself in another golden age of art, driven as we hope to produce more such masterpieces as these in the future.

Only a small group of artists reach such a professional pinnacle. They are the ones who deserve a place of their own in history. Tu obviously has solidified his claim to be one of them.