The Changing Face
This portrait paintings archive is a journey through time. It documents the evolution of my portraiture from the 1970s to the late 1990s. What begins as classic Western study—oil, pastel, and the search for anatomical correctness—slowly transforms under the influence of my time in China thus focusing on Chinese ink portraiture. The rigid gaze of European realism dissolves into the fluid lines of ink painting, eventually breaking apart into pure expressionism.
1. The European Gaze
In my early years (until 1985), my work was deeply rooted in the Western tradition. These portraits, mostly in oil or mixed media, explore the psychological depth of the subject through light, shadow, and color. They represent the “Observer”—the artist looking at the subject from the outside.
2. The Ink Revolution
Discovering the Brush With my studies at the Central Academy in Beijing, the medium changed—and with it, the perspective. Canvas was replaced by rice paper, oil by Indian ink. These works (c. 1984–88) show the struggle and the beauty of adapting to a new language. The focus shifts from anatomical precision to the Rhythm of the Line. The portraits become larger, bolder, and more experimental.
3. Deconstruction & Overpainting
Breaking the Image By the late 80s and early 90s, mere representation was no longer enough. I began to “attack” the image. In Series V, I overpainted existing prints, distorting faces to reveal hidden layers of the psyche. In Series VI, the transformation is complete: The portrait is no longer a picture of a face, but a map of the mind. Elements of calligraphy and philosophy dominate, dissolving the subject into pure energy.
West vs. East in Portraiture
In the West, a portrait captures the shell. In the East, it captures the Spirit (Shen). While my early works strove for likeness, my later portraits strive for Resonance. The goal was no longer to paint how a person looked, but who they were in that fleeting moment. This shift from “Anatomy” to “Qi” (Energy) is the central theme of this portrait painting archive.