Ding Yanyong(1902-1978), one of the most accomplished and sophisticated artists in modern Chinese history, extended the borders of Chinese and Western Art. He was the 'Oriental Matisse' and turned a new page of Chinese art in the 20th century.
Although the subject matter of his paintings are mainly imundane objects and living creaturess , the images he created under under his splashes of brush are extraordinary. Between 1957 and 1978, he had taught art at the New Asia College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. As the former fine arts students mentioned, many outsiders came to his lecture because of the fame of Ding.
In 1902, Ding Yanyong was born in Mou-Ming, Guangdong province. He studied in Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1921 . In his early art development, he adopted the style of Fauvism and Matisse. Then, Ding emigrated to Hong Kong in 1949. Despite he experienced great hardship, he still insisted on painting continuously. I really admire his pursuit of art even the condition was poor and resources were short. From the history stated in the exhibition, I can trace the history of the past and the transformation of the artist.
What impress me most are the interplay of different media and his personality revealed in the paintings. Moreover, he showed strong determination when facing struggling situations throughout his life. In the exhibition, I find the One-stroke Cat is the most impressive and creative which simplified the image in a single stroke only! You can really feel his childlikeness and power when confronting the artwork!
