In world of silence, she has soothing touch
By Xie Fang (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-11 07:14

Gao Xiaodi never allows herself to feel sorry, even though she has lived with a hearing impairment since childhood.

The only feeling of guilt she harbors is for sending her only daughter to be raised by her parents some 25 years ago - so that she could throw herself into painting.

Now one of the nation's top artists, Gao, 53, is the first physically-challenged person from Sichuan province to attend an annual session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference as a member of its national committee.

Gao's younger sister, Gao Shan, acts as a translator to help her communicate with other members.

"I feel very proud of her because she has achieved something that many so-called normal people cannot do," said Gao Shan, an editor with Chengdu Daily.

She has good reason to - Gao Xiaodi, who lost her hearing because of wrong medication when she was a child, is well prepared for her new position.

One of her draft proposals asks television stations to add subtitles in programs.

She is calling on the government to draft more policies to help the physically challenged develop their careers.

She is especially supportive of a proposal by Shi Yaozhong, a CPPCC member from Hubei province, suggesting that a full-fledged university be established specially for the physically handicapped.

Gao feels strongly about such a university because she had only three years' formal schooling in a special institution before the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) disrupted her education.

Fortunately, she grew up in a cultural family with her father familiar with several artists.

Gao started to learn painting at the age of 18, after her father persuaded well-known painter Zhu Peijun to take her under her wing.

The teaching was in silence. She had to learn by observing how the teacher drew. Nature painting is essential for a beginner, so she often rode a bicycle to the countryside.

Gao's talent and hard work impressed Zhou, who recommended her to the Chengdu Art Academy in 1984.

With her disability, she felt depressed at the beginning but never sought sympathy; instead, she was determined to carve a place for herself at the academy.

After sending her two-month-old daughter away to live with her parents, she concentrated on painting all day.

"I was told by my teacher to compete with normal people on the same stage, which requires more hard work and sacrifice - such as living apart from my daughter," she said in sign language.

Sister Gao Shan says "she is too hard on herself".

"My memory of her is never putting down her painting brush. Persistence is the key to her success."

The painter's career took off in 1993 when her art, along with works by 12 other Sichuan female artists, was shown in Japan. Some of her paintings were even made into postcards.

The trip to Japan not only boosted her confidence, but also widened her horizons.

Noticing that more and more people are struggling in an increasingly competitive society, she started to focus on painting cats - not a common subject for artists - to reflect warmth, peace and domestic bliss.

"We need to calm down after a hectic day at work, and the home is the safe harbor for our soul and spirit," Gao said.

Now, her art is collected by domestic museums, art institutions and collectors from Japan and the United States.

It takes about two months for Gao, who is married to a schoolmate, to complete a painting, though she could have speeded up and sold more.

"If one always thinks about money, her or she is not an artist at all," she said.

"Only those art works which come from the heart can be handed down to generations."

(China Daily 03/11/2008 page1)