Portrait that captures China's spirit and emotions
Source: Xinhua |
July 2, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINESE painter Ge Xiaoguang's art has gazed over one of the world's most famous city squares for decades.
For 30 years, Ge has painted the portraits of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong that look across Beijing's Tian'anmen Square.
The giant oil paintings of the founder of the People's Republic of China have kept watch from the Gate of Heavenly Peace since the Communist Party won the civil war and declared a New China on October 1, 1949.
"I feel honored to have done this all these years. It is a sacred job. The sense of duty is quite strong," Ge said.
The paintings, of glass fibre and reinforced plastic, are 6 meters high and 4.6 meters wide and weigh up to 1.5 tons.
At his studio near the Forbidden City, brushes in hand and standing atop a moving platform, 58-year-old Ge gently smooths the surface of the canvas, creating an airbrushed effect.
"The key in the portrait is to depict Chairman Mao's presence. It's really important to manage to show the charisma that he had as a great leader," he said.
Born in Beijing in 1953, Ge learned to paint the large-scale portraits from his predecessor Wang Guodong.
When Wang retired in 1976 after Mao's death, Ge became the fourth artist to take up the position. He now leads a team of artists that depict China's political leaders, from Mao to President Hu Jintao.
Ge alone paints Mao.
Every year since 1977, he has created a new portrait, each one slightly different, which replaces the old one overnight between September 30 and October 1, China's National Day.
After decades of referring to archive material and photos, Ge said that he now knows Mao so well he does not need to spend much time sketching out the portrait.
But he added: "You must do this job right. It is not just piece of art. It represents China's spirit and the emotions of an era."
For 30 years, Ge has painted the portraits of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong that look across Beijing's Tian'anmen Square.
The giant oil paintings of the founder of the People's Republic of China have kept watch from the Gate of Heavenly Peace since the Communist Party won the civil war and declared a New China on October 1, 1949.
"I feel honored to have done this all these years. It is a sacred job. The sense of duty is quite strong," Ge said.
The paintings, of glass fibre and reinforced plastic, are 6 meters high and 4.6 meters wide and weigh up to 1.5 tons.
At his studio near the Forbidden City, brushes in hand and standing atop a moving platform, 58-year-old Ge gently smooths the surface of the canvas, creating an airbrushed effect.
"The key in the portrait is to depict Chairman Mao's presence. It's really important to manage to show the charisma that he had as a great leader," he said.
Born in Beijing in 1953, Ge learned to paint the large-scale portraits from his predecessor Wang Guodong.
When Wang retired in 1976 after Mao's death, Ge became the fourth artist to take up the position. He now leads a team of artists that depict China's political leaders, from Mao to President Hu Jintao.
Ge alone paints Mao.
Every year since 1977, he has created a new portrait, each one slightly different, which replaces the old one overnight between September 30 and October 1, China's National Day.
After decades of referring to archive material and photos, Ge said that he now knows Mao so well he does not need to spend much time sketching out the portrait.
But he added: "You must do this job right. It is not just piece of art. It represents China's spirit and the emotions of an era."
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