无声黑白

       Silence In a black and white world

　　Liu Xin

　　With casual and bold colors and lines, He Liyan抯 watercolors had been bright and free, not so reserved. Reading his works, you would feel cheerful and refreshed. Recently, when I visited him in his studio, I was surprised to find he had finished large numbers of works in black and white, much different from his former works, so quiet, so pure.

　　Watercolor is similar to Chinese painting, so they would easily blend with each other. For example, both Shanghai School and Lingnan School had learned from watercolor and shown the world a fresh style in Chinese painting. Today, there are many people paint a watercolor like painting a Chinese painting, and that rich the techniques of watercolor. He Liyan'swatercolor in black and white show us his aesthetics for a feeling of Chinese painting.

　　In fact, He Liyan has tried a lot to improve his watercolor for quite a few years, in a way like painting Chinese paintings, in a way of more free. Now, his colors have reduced to only black and white, and that means a great leap to him in his artistic career. He Liyan has a great interest in watercolor and paints for happiness but not like many other painters painting only for a better life, so he can paint in a pure and honest state, show us innocent delight.

　　With amusing delight, form and spirit, just like Chinese paintings, He Liyan's works remind me of Mr. Wu Guanzhong's views of "Sense Impressions" which summarized the painting style of Mr. Wu Guanzhong himself. A vivid artistic work should tells us interest of life, moves us with feeling and sentiment. He Liyan's recent works, with delightful and fresh brush-technique, young but steady, remind us of the artistic conception, like the traditional Chinese paintings. Facing his works, you would have the feeling of hearing thunder in the silence.

　　Lu Xun had said: "fter 40 years old, a man is grey.?Formerly, He Liyan" works were bright, like flowers in spring and hardy grass in storm. Now, as He Liyan is much older than 40, it is not strange to find his style becoming simple and concise, as the style gets echo from his feelings. Being a man as old as He Liyan, his new style aroused sympathy easily from me.

　　He Liyan is going to have his experimental works in black and white published and ask me to write a preface for him. I'm nervous but glad to write the words above, with delight after reading his works.

　　2009-7-1 in Wangyuan House

　　(Liu Xin is a professor in Guangxi Art College, a famous art historian and an artistic critic)