In ancient times, people observed the Eight Diagrams. Images would have been explained as “images of the trigrams” whereas the latter “image” would imply “shape and profile” i.e. abstracting the intended meanings from observing the shape and profile of the things. The ancient artists always attached importance to intended meanings on their landscape paintings after internalizing and refining the landscape time and time again. Also ancient artists drew the charm of landscape by using smooth lines combined with changes of Chinese ink painting, which represent an audience feeling as if they visited the landscape in person.
During more than 12 years of living in France, Li Donglu has developed a unique drawing method by combining the Western methodology of describing details with Chinese traditional drawing: a way of getting the intended meanings from observing images. The differences between Chinese traditional drawing and the realism of Western art are not obstacles in Donglu’s paintings, they present the images to observe as well as displaying his intentions and understandings.
People always take it for granted that the scenes drawn by him are imaginary and in fact not real life scenes. The dark atmosphere on his paintings reminds us that the scenes are nothing but a dreamland. The drawing method of describing details endows an unrealistic sense of future. Fantastic implications are conveyed by knocking the context together in abnormal ways. From his paintings, Donglu uses an intuitive method to express his commemoration to the past and the anxiety after observing the dry land, a piece of broken melting ice, the spread of fire, the smoke filled on a half of the painting...
From the series “Subimpressionism” to “The Nature of Nature”, Donglu always presents Chinese and Western traditional landscape by using modern drawing methods with a sharp observation and exquisite drawing. He invites audiences to integrate into the “images” that he creates.
Li Donglu, born in 1982, in Guangdong, China, graduated from The Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and French Versailles Academy of Fine Arts. He has lived and worked in Pairs, France since 2004. His works have been exhibited around the world. Donglu has formed his own painting style by studying the Western drawings of the Middle Ages to modern-Western works of drawing, reflecting on the relations among human beings, nature and the universe.
