Chinese artist calls for revitalizing finger painting
( 2003-09-13 14:59) (Agencies)
A veteran artist who has
practiced the unique art of finger painting for 60 years has called for the
revitalization of this endangered form of traditional Chinese painting.
Liu Duojun, the grandson of Liu Xiling, a premodern master of finger painting
in China, said finger painting, or ink painting with fingers directly on the
paper instead of a paintbrush, coversall aspects of traditional Chinese
painting, including landscapes,flowers and birds, and animals.
Liu kicked off a 10-day finger painting show Thursday in southwest China's
Sichuan Province, displaying more than 40 of hisworks.
He said finger painting dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907BC) and the
art entered its golden period in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). In 1915, his
grandfather won the gold medal at the Panama Exhibition held in the United
States with one of his works.
But the popularity of finger painting in recent years has been on the decline
in China, Liu said. Finger painting has played an important role in the history
of traditional Chinese painting and the rejuvenation of this traditional art
needs the efforts of all sides in society, said Liu.
Liu, 80, now a first-class painter of the Hong Kong Art Gallery,took up the
art of finger painting at the age of 20.
Liu's exhibition is being held in Jiangyou city in Sichuan Province, the
hometown of Li Bai, one of the greatest poets in Tang Dynasty (618-907 BC).
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