Everyday, as I cross the city, I pass by the modern high-rises and large mansions on the way to my studio, which is in a small, poor township on the outskirts of Beijing. Sitting in the car and watching the cityscape go by always gives me the same sense of familiarity and connection with the landscape of my childhood, the karsts of Guilin.
Just as this unique scenery has inspired many traditional Chinese painters, I havefound among its lines the structure and inspiration for my ‘At the margin’ series. For me, it seemed completely natural to use the shapes of these steep hills as the basis of their composition. The modern-day city buildings fill the same space as the karsts, while the overall style and palette try to recall the achievements of the Song dynasty.The edges of the paintings reflectthe environment and conditions of the people, amongst whom I work, wholive out their lives at the margin of the city. The tall buildings seem so far away, whilst these people are so close to me. Which ones are real?