为内心的自我，所做的一份说帖—关于熊宇的《塔罗》

文/郑乃铭

 

熊宇，始终把创作当作是一种对自我梳理的过程。《塔罗》这个系列尤其明显。

 

塔罗牌，这个以欧洲为主要中心点，所发展出来反映个人内在的图像媒介，严格上来说，它一开始并非是被拿作为预测个人命运的工具，它其实是拿来作为对自己内心现境变化更加认识的一种牌面工具。由于，塔罗牌有分成大秘仪与小秘仪两类，其中大秘仪总计有22张牌，它从「愚人」这第一张牌开始，到「世界」这最后一张牌作为结束，22张牌等同于是生命的一种循环，它具备陈述人生面临各种大小事情的基本型态作用，但假如要更加细密来说明深层的环节，则需要再经由小秘仪的牌面来作为辅助。因为，塔罗牌是鼓励自己来翻阅出牌面，这当中就能透露出个人对现阶段所遭遇事情的最直白心情。或许是因为这个缘故，塔罗牌逐渐被专长命理的人拿来作为占卜使用，因为牌面的图像象征意义是固定，相对之下就得看擅长说牌的人如何去解读选牌者所欲知悉的心理因由。塔罗牌发展到后来，牌面的基本意涵虽然不可能改变，但是图像则随着区域的变化被赋予更多不同样式，甚至进而演变成为一种收藏品。不过，塔罗牌从最早开始它的图像就流露出古典气息，虽然有很多不同的图像出现，但这份古典特质其实还是被适度做了保留。其次，塔罗牌所观测的是个人内心现况活动轨迹，多少就会使得塔罗牌无法甩开让人觉得神秘的想象空间，更何况在欧洲许多吉普赛人都习惯拿塔罗牌来为人算命，这种内心活动的窥探与解读，很自然就会让塔罗牌蒙上一层黑色氛围。

 

熊宇之所以会以塔罗牌来作为创作的一个系列，说来并非是他对于精算运命有特殊爱好，一来是因为塔罗牌本身的神秘气息，对他造成基本吸引力。二来则是许多的动画片，在剧情内容上都谈论到塔罗牌，这无疑对他加强了吸引力。另外，最重要的因素，则是来自塔罗牌虽然有一定牌面意涵，但却能随着翻牌者与解牌者的内心角度不同，而有不一样的看法。这也就是说，塔罗牌会因为人本身的因素，提供一个不同观看世界的方式。对熊宇来讲，22张塔罗牌的大秘仪，意味着人生所会遭遇到的各种处境，透过这些牌面呈现了一个完整的世界观，也等于体现一个完整的人生。熊宇对于为塔罗牌塑造新的牌面图像，其实并没有多大的兴趣，但是他很渴望经由这个创作的入径，为他自己在创作的表达找出不同方式，另外也希望从这个基础点上；为自己的艺术寻找各种不同的可能性。实际上，熊宇在投入这项主题创作的同时，冥冥中已经是在将自己推向一个彷若解读塔罗牌牌面的人，他企图引领着观者跳开以前欣赏他作品的惯性，从不一样的角度来进入这个主题作品中。

 

其次，我比较想从内在化语境中来谈熊宇塔罗系列的创作。我个人认为，私心里；熊宇想透过塔罗牌这个创作的机会，为自己作一番梳理。熊宇是个绝对幸福的人。他的人生有着自己的规划与所爱的人对他的期望，从生命的境遇造弄来讲，灰灰暗暗，确实不是熊宇人生的一项「强项」。熊宇非常清楚自己的性格位阶，也未曾想过要去对自己进行挑衅，他的世界自始至终都有他自己所画出来的圆。但是，塔罗牌所为他揭露的境遇播迁与心理抉择，确实也是充满着吸引。熊宇的艺术创作，在过去总会被大家放到新世代受到动漫美学影响的范畴中来谈，他的架上作品也曾被广泛指称充满着忧郁情节。这些其实都是一种表相式解读方法，但不容否认熊宇站在这样的位置听到众多声音，终究会很希望自己能够更为深切书写人生的境遇曲折与心理纠缠。因此，塔罗牌所提供的不同阶段经验，带给这位原本就擅长想象飞驰的艺术家，有了一个把想象放到土地上的真实心念，塔罗提出了路径；熊宇让想象紧跟着它，于是；这位艺术家把自己从现实的性格中抽离出来，自此，一个不相同却也真实的熊宇以更贴近生命的方式，来为自己所遭遇的人生课题，以图像来理出看法。这一点，应该是塔罗牌真正让熊宇走进来的最私心理由吧！

 

熊宇的艺术，当然还是与他的环境背景与个性有绝对性牵连，也就是：第一、成都的地理环境。第二、技巧所意味的内在化意涵。第三、熊宇自身的性格。我想先从这三个背景因素谈起，最后；再以塔罗这个主轴作为结束。

 

环境塑造色彩的统驭性

熊宇的艺术，吸引我的因素之ㄧ，就是画面的颜色。熊宇的作品，色调几乎都很单纯，他完全没有新世代艺术家那种喜欢卖弄色彩的感官欲望，熊宇在简单的颜色结构铺陈之下，不断去转折出画面空间的呼吸，这绝非是年轻艺术家轻易能做到的表现方式。单一的颜色温度，我想应该是来自熊宇多年来始终居住在成都，这个本身就不是一个阳光眷恋的城市，常年灰灰沉沉的，很自然使得熊宇在面对创作的传达上，也选择比较纯化的颜色来作为诉求，他放弃煮沸喧嚣式的颜色作风，让画面的视觉处于一种熊宇自己控温状态下，沉静地、成功地把观者的眼球留在他的画面上。从色彩的心理层界来说，这样的颜色更趋近于人内心的蠢动，也更吻合熊宇所架设出来的想象场域。

 

技巧所呼映的内蕴厚度

我以前曾经提过，熊宇的作品有着中国水墨画的深情笔触在其中。我个人觉得，这个形现于外的技巧，应该是从环境因素所培养出的自然发生渠道。当然，熊宇个人对于中国传统文化的感应与内在贴近，也是他自己能够善用与转借这些元素精神的另一股潜在动能。熊宇从环境本质(这所谓环境本质，明确讲就是成都这个城市给人的灰白色调感受)的条件性得到启发，也等同于是他发现这个环境本质性能够加以延伸所带来丰富想象，他在画面的结构方面，既把中国水墨画墨染的层次运景做了适度发挥；但最主要是他没有让自己的表现因为要借水墨的魂而被水墨的章法给拘泥，熊宇让色的韵染有着隐约透露着光晕的推景作用，使得画面因此能够既有景的秩序，也能看出景的深度。另外，熊宇在人物的处理方面，你当然可以把它视为一种写实性技法表现，可是就某种程度而言，熊宇何尝不更贴近着中国工笔画的细腻作工，他在运笔流转的过程中，每个笔触都在留住观者的视线，但熊宇也没有让这样的笔触因为过于耍弄技巧而流之于油滑。熊宇在他整个画面的构筑中，始终都掌握着「笔意」，而没有特意去夸张技巧的熟练。我个人认为，熊宇其实是个很在乎所谓读画惯性的人。因为，一旦一个人在看画过程中，再有一层读画的习惯，那么就能从画面中看出更多自己的心得，也能更体会艺术家的潜心。而他就不断经由自己的作品，发酵着这样一份心思，知者；也就自然上到这路径。

 

宅男性格让想象更辽阔

熊宇是个很标准的宅男。他在计算机游戏机里，真正印证与实践着自己的第二人生，而他始终乐此不疲。计算机游戏提供熊宇一个思想可以开启的大门，进到这个门之后，他不是现实生活当中的熊宇，他的角色只是一个昵称；一个随时可以改变称谓的「代号」，生存的动机也回到比较物性的规格。不过，熊宇喜欢计算机游戏，自然也影响到他的创作方式。从中，熊宇让自己发展出一个很完整体系的创作语体，这个语体也就是我们所看到的熊宇式人物。这些画面上的人物，并没有特别突显的性别之分，因为美到极致的人，性别其实并不是一个困扰的课题。这些人都拥有一双美丽清澄的眼睛，因为深邃自然就被误读为忧郁。这些人都长着长长脖子，而且还都被衣服给保护着。原来，熊宇认为人的脖子与眼睛一样都属于外露，很容易受到伤害，应该要严谨保护着。画面上的人，也都长着一双白色翅膀，对熊宇而言，人既然有了翅膀，就意味有自由的权利，也代表着有理想足以追寻，可以随时飞走。另外还有一项，则是熊宇的作品从以前到现在，他所涉及的题材显得特别具有和谐性，没有一丝反映内心的不安全感，也不去触击到社会议题，他的作品，也就是在为自己寻求一个可以放肆又能找到路回家的出口。熊宇或许愿意让自己像个风筝，但却又很在乎线是不是有被地面的人握在手中。

 

这些特质对于熊宇的创作都有相对性植入关系，同时也被他放到《塔罗》这个系列主题中。《塔罗》与他过去的作品最明显差异之处，应该是在他去除掉以前较为厚重的画面铺陈，让原本就纯化的颜色因此更显出清逸，营造出类似失重的飞扬状态，这样的状态很直接就把熊宇可望诉达的内心活动轨迹给点明。我个人认为，熊宇这种类似白描的笔法，大量出现在画面上，分外使得这个主题系列的创作更接近中国艺术的视觉情境。熊宇的艺术体系，当然还是比较偏向于西方的视觉架设与惯性，但更为明显的是，在《塔罗》这个系列当中，熊宇尝试让自己有一个清晰脉络的独立性发展，没有特意去描述画面的时空背景，他在牌面所代表的意涵当中，发挥对于诠释图像的想象性与自由度，并且试图通过画面氛围的塑造，使得读画的观者更能体察出内心化情境起落。比如说，塔罗牌第一张牌面就是〈愚人〉，传统这个牌面一定会出现旭日、悬崖；一个打扮近似小丑的人，满脸带笑却一只脚已经踏在悬崖外。这张牌面其实用来隐喻一个人并不清楚自己正面临什么状况。熊宇在诠释这张牌面，就舍弃悬崖这个环节，他以一个正飞跃在半空中的人物为主图像，蓝天白云，丝毫看不出任何安全与危险的可能性。或许传统的塔罗牌面对于愚人的观感，会比较倾向于不聪明或有点失疯状况的描述。可是，在熊宇的解读中，愚人的定义不再那样的窄化，因为，当每个人所处的位置与角色不同的时候，所做出的决定对于某些人或许是蠢极；就另外的人则会是正确的选择。熊宇不断从一个现代语意学里去推翻旧思维样貌，展现一个很符合自己背景的思考范畴。例如在〈隐士〉这件作品，传统意义中，隐士或许被认为是比较消极的人，但是在熊宇笔下，则是置身于云端、心中怀有一盏明灯对万般诸事了然于心的人。〈力量〉本来是指与内在所压抑的力量相抗衡，熊宇的画面则出现一位躺在狮子怀里的瘦弱人物，一个外表羸弱的人，也许内心是一只勇猛威武的巨狮，而或许一位外表雄武不羁的人，内心反倒是脆弱而敏感的。熊宇所要谈的不单单是一种内与外的抗衡，从画面上，熊宇或许较偏向人应该学习与内在的自己做一种合谐共生的相处。在〈女祭司〉与〈魔法师〉这两者比较属于人内心阴暗的角色，熊宇则以黑色来作为画面情绪的主导，突显人内在不易被人窥知的心理。熊宇很擅长透过颜色来点出心境，在〈吊人〉与〈塔〉这两件作品中，前者将背景处理成黑色，从上面坠下、一脸无辜的人，则是意味着现实环境扮演被牺牲角色，何尝不也是完全不知自己到底是因何而死的心理吗？至于〈塔〉则是拿来形容心理放不下的东西正处于瓦解状态，而画面底下的海洋，似乎也正等待着要把所有的疑虑给洗净。〈恋人〉在熊宇的解释之下，则是两个眼神飘近、手背轻偎却各转向对立一方的情侣，而中国话说沉醉于爱河，但画面这对恋人所处的爱河则是波涛暗涌，如此的画面像极现代两性关系，彼此或许想相互取暖却又不愿因此就相属，情感的这个路径，自然也就不会如常理的平静。

 

熊宇在《塔罗》的系列创作，一方面把自己个性中朴实与宽厚，很充分放在塔罗所涉及境遇抉择的处理心境描述上。在他的画面中，他倾吐着自己的人生思维，没有过度攻城略地的高嚣企图心，没有特意迎合的人生姿态，熊宇的《塔罗》成为他个人内心世界的一份选择，就好比在他所画的〈正义〉这件作品中，象征着正义与公理的天平很稳当维持在平均等重状态，只是，那天平被熊宇画得很小而不是一个特意突显的夸张道具。这真的很像熊宇！就是那种把准则放在心理，而不是挂在外表上来赢取注意，甚或至成为人际关系中煽情的春药。

 

严格上来说，熊宇的《塔罗》是他为内心的自我，所做的一份说帖。这份说帖并不全然是一份想象，也不是拿来作为他个人社会经验不丰富的遁世托辞，而是在这当中更让人清楚熊宇为自己所画出的圆，在迂回曲折或硝湮弥漫现实环境中，这位艺术家始终清楚自己的路在那。

 

 

By Zheng Naiming

Xiong Yu has all along treated his work as a way of putting his inner world in order. The Tarot series is a particularly clear case in point.

Tarot cards, which originated in Europe, developed into a pictorial medium reflecting the inner-self but strictly speaking were not originally designed as a tool for fortune-telling. In fact, they were a means to understanding further changes in one’s inner-mind. They are divided into two parts: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana contains a total of 22 cards starting with the first card The Fool and ending with the last card The World. Thus the 22 cards form the cycle of life and try to explain the full range of basic scenarios one may face in life. If, however, one needs to probe further into the details, cards from the Minor Arcana may be consulted. Because tarot relies upon personal interpretation of the cards, the process is able to reveal one’s most direct feeling towards any given situation. Perhaps it’s because of this reason that tarot cards have gradually come to be used in fortune-telling. As the images’ symbolism is fixed, one must look to how the diviner deciphers the psychological reasons for the drawing of cards that have been chosen. Throughout history, despite cards’ basic meanings being left unchanged, their pictorial forms have differed in line with regional variations, in some cases even becoming collector items themselves. However, if one thing has remained the same, it is tarot cards’ classical air. Regardless of the many different images that have appeared, their classical nature has always been left intact. Tarot cards study the footprints of man’s psychological activity, so much so that tarot cards have unavoidably earned a mysterious reputation. In Europe, they have been widely used by gypsies for fortune-telling and being associated with such prying into people’s innermost thoughts has meant that quite naturally, they have been enshrouded by a dark veil of suspicion and mystery.

The reason for Xiong Yu deciding to paint a series of tarot cards had little to do with any special interest in fortune-telling per se. He was initially drawn in more by their esoteric nature and secondly by the fact that they have been the subject of many cartoons, which no doubt added to their attraction. But the most important feature for Xiong Yu was that despite their fixed meanings, tarot cards’ final interpretation varies so much upon their selector and reader. In other words, depending on the human element, tarot cards can provide an entirely different way of looking at the world. As far as Xiong Yu is concerned, the Major Arcana represents all the scenarios one is likely to be faced with in life, which together provides a complete world vision; a complete life. But Xiong Yu wasn’t particularly interested in producing new tarot card designs as such; he was far more interested in exploring new avenues of his own creative process, using tarot strictly as an entry point for such exploration. Despite this, once Xiong Yu had begun working on this theme, unbeknown to himself, he had already become a tarot card reader of sorts, attempting to help people appreciate his work from a different perspective than before.

And hence I would like to discuss Xiong Yu’s tarot card series in the context of internalization. In my opinion, Xiong Yu has, quite selfishly, thought that by producing the tarot card series, he could give his own mind a going over. There is no question that Xiong Yu is a lucky man. His life has a purpose and the hopes of loved ones all around him. Looking at his life, doom and gloom is really not one of Xiong Yu’s strong points. Xiong Yu is very clear on whom he is and has never felt the need to provoke himself before. From start to finish, his world has been carefully planned out, but the potential revelation of his inner world and own psychological choices was nevertheless incredibly attractive to him. Xiong Yu’s work has previously always been categorised as being of the New Generation, heavily influenced by cartoon aesthetics and generally viewed as being rather depressing. Such comment has of course just been a superficial interpretation of his work but it’s easy to understand why Xiong Yu, after hearing such voices, would sooner or later wish to be able to portray more profoundly life’s complications and worries. Tarot cards thus provided this lofty-minded artist with a path on which he could set down his dreamy visions in stone and Xiong Yu let his imagination follow it. Thus it was that he withdrew himself from reality and henceforth a different but nonetheless real Xiong Yu engaged with questions of life he was faced with, thinking his opinions through in pictorial form. This is probably the most selfish of Xiong Yu’s reasons for getting involved with tarot cards!

Of course Xiong Yu’s art is however still inextricably linked to his environment and personality. Firstly we have Chengdu as a geographical environment; secondly, the implications of the painting techniques he uses and thirdly, Xiong Yu’s own personality. I would now like to discuss these three factors, before finally coming back to the central axle of tarot itself.

THE ENVIRONMENT’S CONTROL OVER COLOUR

One of the reasons I was first attracted to Xiong Yu’s work was his use of colour. The colour scheme used in his work is almost uniformly simple, void of the sensory desire to show off colour in the way that so many New Generation artists do. Xiong Yu instead elaborates on this simple colour construct, never ceasing to change the feel of the canvas – a form of expression that very few young artists are able to achieve. The use of such a monochromatic palette originates, I believe, in Xiong Yu having lived in Chengdu for such a long time. Chengdu is not a sun-drenched city by any means, often heavy with cloud, and so it seems natural that Xiong Yu uses such colour in meeting his creative requirements. He has put aside blowing air with noisy colours, preferring instead to make the canvas a controlled environment, quietly and successfully guiding the viewers’ eyes to rest upon it. In terms of psychology, this kind of colour correlates more with man’s worries, and is thus better suited to the imaginary world that Xiong Yu here creates.

DEPTH THROUGH TECHNIQUE

I have previously claimed that Xiong Yu’s painting has a certain element of traditional Chinese ink painting to it and I believe that this technique is a natural outcome of environmental factors. Xiong Yu is of course intimately related to traditional Chinese culture but he also has a certain ability in knowing how best to make use of and adopt its spirit. Xiong Yu draws inspiration from his environment’s essence (this so-called ‘environment’s essence’ refers to the grey tone that Chengdu leaves upon its visitors), which he has discovered can stretch his bountiful imagination even further. The depth to his work also bears the mark of Chinese ink painting but while carrying on the spirit of traditional composition he has not let himself be bound by it. By using colour with a certain degree of transparency, halos shine out from behind and both order and depth are given to his background. Aside from this, Xiong Yu’s composition of figures could certainly be seen as realist in terms of skill and technique but doesn’t it also resemble traditional Chinese ‘gongbi’1 painting? Using this style, every brushstroke rests within the viewer’s line of vision but Xiong Yu has been careful not to overdo this as technical overkill could have been misinterpreted as a rip-off. From beginning to end, Xiong Yu constructs his work with keen regard to its ‘artistic sentiment’ and has veered away from over exaggerating its technical prowess. I believe Xiong Yu to be someone who is truly concerned for those people who gape on unenthusiastically at paintings. As soon as one picks up the habit of looking at paintings, one is able to learn more from the painting and further appreciate an artist’s hard work. This is an idea that bubbles constantly through Xiong Yu’s work and for those who understand, they will appreciate where his is going with his art.

A GEEK’S EXPANDED IMAGINATION

Xiong Yu is the quintessential geek2. Playing on his computer game console, he plays out a second life all of his own and couldn’t be happier doing so. Computer games provide Xiong Yu with a gateway to opening his mind. Once through it, he is no longer the Xiong Yu of daily life, but plays the role of a nickname, an ever-changeable ‘code name’, living by the rules of the jungle. Of course, Xiong Yu’s love of computer games influences the way he works. Xiong Yu has developed his very own creative language from this, represented by the Xiong Yu’esque figures we see in his paintings. These figures have no clearly defined gender because for people of such extreme beauty, gender is really not an issue. Their eyes are stunningly clear, whose abstrusity is often misread as tristesse. Their necks are long and well protected by their clothing. Originally Xiong Yu believed that necks and eyes were especially prone to harm and should be well guarded. The figures in his paintings have also grown a pair of white wings with which they could fly away with at any time. For Xiong Yu these symbolize their freedom as well as their ability to fulfil their dreams. Another point that needs mentioning is how harmonious the subject matter of Xiong Yu’s work has always been. There has never been any hint of insecurity in his work, and he has never tackled any of today’s societal issues. On the contrary, his work has been a personal search for a wanton outlet, but one with a way back home. Xiong Yu might be quite happy to be a kite but he still cares about whether or not the man on the ground is holding on to its string.

These factors have all had their own respective influence on Xiong Yu’s work but have also become a part of the Tarot series. The greatest difference of Tarot with earlier work probably lies in the clearing away of heavy decoration. This has brought out the purity of the work and given a sense of weightlessness to the paintings – something that has allowed Xiong Yu to highlight his inner world’s activity directly. Personally I believe that Xiong Yu’s wide use of ‘baimiao’3 style brushwork in this thematic series has endowed the work with a particularly Chinese artistic sentiment. Xiong Yu’s overall creative setup is of course governed more by the visual traits of Western art but what is notable in Tarot is that Xiong Yu has attempted to give himself a distinct and greater space for independent development, caring less to define the paintings’ context in space and time.

His work demonstrates a true desire to portray the imaginary nature and freedom of the images and help their viewers further observe the rise and fall of internalized scenarios. The first tarot card The Fool, for example, traditionally features a rising sun over a steep cliff. Dangling one foot over the cliff edge is a figure playing the joker, sporting a broad smile as he does so. This card is used as a metaphor for someone who doesn’t realise the precarious situation they are actually facing. Xiong Yu’s interpretation of this card has done away with the cliff entirely. It features a figure flying down against a backdrop of blue sky and white clouds, with seemingly no danger or threat in sight. Traditional impressions of a fool were perhaps centred on the idea of someone who was either rather stupid or losing their mind but Xiong Yu’s definition of a fool is clearly not so narrow. When everyone’s roles and positions are so different, something that might seem stupid for one person could seem quite sensible for another. Xiong Yu is thus attempting to reinterpret ancient thought with contemporary semantics, exhibiting a mind-set representative of his own upbringing. The Hermit, to take as another example, has traditionally been seen as a relatively negative character but in Xiong Yu’s interpretation, is an individual atop the clouds holding a light bulb, which casts a bright light over all. The card Strength originally indicated the power of inhibition in the mind but Xiong Yu represents this with an emaciated figure resting in the palm of a lion. Someone who appears fragile on the outside may well be a bold and aggressive lion on the inside or, on the contrary, someone with a staunch and gallant disposition may in fact have a fragile and sensitive heart. Xiong Yu is not only wanting to discuss the counter balance between outside and inside but also seems to be suggesting that people should learn to strike an harmonious balance with their inner-selves. The High Priestess and The Magician refer mainly to the darker sides of man’s heart and here Xiong Yu has painted them in black, setting the tone, to point out that man’s inner thoughts are not so easily pried into. Xiong Yu excels in using colour to suggest a state of mind. Looking at The Hanged Man and The Tower, the former features an innocent-looking figure falling down against a black backdrop, signifying the sacrifice of one’s role in ordinary life but doesn’t it also suggest the questioning of how we might die? The Tower, on the other hand, describes the destruction of those things the mind can’t let go of. The ocean at the bottom of the painting seems to be waiting to clean away all of one’s doubts. The Lovers is interpreted by Xiong Yu as two lovers whose gazes flutter, the back of their hands touching lightly but their heads both turned to face opposite directions. In Chinese we talk of being intoxicated with the ‘river of love’ but the river in which this couple find themselves is full of gushing water and rolling waves. This image mirrors contemporary relationships where sometimes both sides may wish to share their love but at the same time might find it very difficult to agree on how to. Love stories are clearly not played out in the quietude of normal life.

In the Tarot series, Xiong Yu is both frank and open in investing his own personality into the portrayal of decisions in life that tarot cards involve. He has poured his heart into the canvas without excessively aggressive ambition, nor pandering to anyone’s tastes. Tarot has become a set of decisions in his inner world, which can be likened to his painting of Justice. It symbolizes justice and universal truth, which are kept safely in the balance on a set of enormous scales; it’s just that Xiong has painted the scales very small and unexaggerated. It seems exactly like Xiong Yu himself! He’d much rather live by rules in private than showing them off to attract attention or even to act as an aphrodisiac for winning over others.

Strictly speaking, Xiong Yu’s Tarot series is really just an aide-mémoire to himself. This aide-mémoire isn’t completely imaginary and it isn’t just a hermit’s excuse for lacking in social experience; it’s a cycle that Xiong Yu has quite clearly painted for himself. In amongst all the twists and turns of the ever more complex reality, this is an artist who has all along known very clearly where his own path lies.

1. ‘Gongbi’ is a style of traditional Chinese realistic painting characterized by fine brushwork and close attention to detail.
2. The literal translation from the Chinese ‘宅男’ would have been a ‘house-dwelling male’, a term originally coming from a pejorative Japanese term for men who stay at home playing computer games = a geek.
3. ‘Baimiao’ is a style of traditional Chinese ink and brush line drawing.