Yuan Xikun: sculpt the world's greats
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Yuan Xikun and his work [photo.ss123.com] |
Portrait artist Yuan Xikun's latest project is a statue of Confucius. Known for his paintings and sculptures of world leaders and icons, he is facing the task considered daunting by many. However, early in 2000, Yuan designed a set of stamps and Confucius was the first in the series. Depicted in his middle age, with a round face and two relatively big teeth, Yuan's image of Confucius was different from the general portrayal that most people are familiar with.
Having consulted experts and historical documents plus a visit to Shandong Province, Confucius' hometown, Yuan said he created a better likeness.
"I portrayed him through observing his offspring," Yuan explained.
It is such detailed study that has seen Yuan find success the world over.
In the early 1980s, Yuan married an employee from the Japanese Embassy in China and went to Tokyo. He gradually gained fame through sketching portraits of the Japanese royal family and other dignitaries.
In 1991, Yuan was invited to do an ink-wash portrait of then Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu before Kaifu visited China. He completed the portrait with 30 minutes and media coverage in Japan and China made him an overnight hit. Before long, China's Ministry of Foreign A. airs, foreign embassies in China and international organizations invited Yuan to portray their leaders.
"I admire many political figures, so I already know them quite well before painting," Yuan explained. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was the same age as the artist and Yuan knew a lot about him. He considered Schroeder's experience of growing up in a single-parent family after World War II and becoming the country's leader as encouraging.
Invited to portray Schroeder, Yuan said that he decided to reflect his brave and unyielding qualities.
"I have a well-thought-out plan before I draw any of them," he added.
To date, Yuan has painted 152 ink-wash portraits for foreign dignitaries, earning the title of a "portrait diplomat."
"I hope such face-to-face cultural exchanges will help advance civilization for the entire global village," Yuan said.
Yuan largely attributes his success to his early experiences in the mountains and forests of Xishuangbanna, a tropical rain forest area in Yunnan Province.
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