A Western Eye in the Middle Kingdom
When I arrived in Beijing (北京) in 1978, the city was waking up from the Cultural Revolution. I brought with me my Western training—charcoal, gouache, and the analytical gaze of the European academy. This Early China portraits 1978-portfolio documents my first encounters with the people of China. Before I mastered the Chinese brush, I captured the reality around me with the tools I knew. These Chinese portraits are a dialogue between two cultures: Western technique meeting Eastern subjects.
1. Faces of a Changing Era
Documenting the Street
I sketched everywhere—in the streets, in the parks, in the canteen. For my portraits I drew workers, peasants, and intellectuals. At that time, a foreigner sketching in public was a sensation. These Early China portraits 1978 are not just artistic studies; they are historical documents of a Beijing that has largely disappeared. They show the faces of a generation standing on the threshold of massive change.
2. Intellectuals & Friends
The Artist Circle
Through my studies at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA 中央美术学院), I gained access to the artistic circles of Beijing. I painted friends, fellow students, and artists like Xue Mingde. These Early China portraits 1978 are more intimate. They often use mixed media or gouache to capture not just the face, but the mood of intellectual awakening that permeated the capital in the late 70s.
3. Technique in Transition
Searching for a Language
You can see the transition in these works. While the medium is still Western (oil pastel, charcoal), the composition begins to change. I started to experiment with empty space (Void) and flatter backgrounds, subconsciously absorbing the aesthetics of the Chinese art I was studying every day.
The Value of the Sketch
Why keep these early works? They represent the “First Contact.” Before one can adopt a new culture’s art form (like Ink Painting), one must first truly see the culture. These sketches and are the evidence of that seeing. These Early China portraits 1978 are the bridge over which I crossed from being an Austrian painter to becoming a Chinese scholar-artist.
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