2016 “童话和诗” 颜小倩专访 | Interview with Yan Xiaoqian

1. 请问你的本次个展主题为何取名“童话和诗”？ 两者之间有何联系吗？

Why you named this exhibition’s theme as“Fairy Tales and Poems”? What’s the connection between “Fairy Tales” and “Poems”?

童话和诗本是东西方两种不同的文体，看似毫无关联，但是其中蕴藏着同样珍贵的情感。情感是不受种族、地域限制，甚至可以穿过不同的时空打动着人们。童话和诗也是成长，从情感的直接强烈到虽然浓烈却又有着一份淡然、超脱，是生命体悟进化的过程。

In this exhibition, ‘Fairy Tales’ refers to the European culture, ‘Poems’ refers to the Chinese ancient songs and poems. they both express our desires and emotions,  they are not limited by any races and regions, these emotions and desire for true love has been touching people’s heart through thousands of years. Fairy tales has accompanied me through my childhood as my best friend and ancient Chinese poems is to help me to understand the strong intangible feelings when we are experiencing the deep love from real life. This is the progressive understanding of life for various sentiments.

2.本次个展和你两年前在上海首次个展相比，您觉得此系列的新作品有何突破和不同？

In comparison to your first solo show 2 years ago in Shanghai, what’s the difference between these two exhibitions?

比起之前的作品吸收了更多的中国传统文化，尝试把东西方的审美揉和呈现于画面中。

This new series absorb more of traditional Chinese culture comparing to my exhibition 2 years ago. My attempt is to merge the oriental appreciation of beauty with the occidental aesthetics in my art pieces.

3. 您的这一系列作品的取名大多引用古诗的诗词，那你的创作是如何用通过具象的视觉画面去表达古诗中抽象的情感的？

How do you create these figurative images to express the intangible abstract emotions from the ancient poems?  

通过特定的形象、场景、色彩来营造出想要表达的情境。人物的面容表情、肢体也是传达自身情感的途径之一。

I create an imaginative scene with a specific image and colour based on my own understanding of the selected part from the original poems. I express one’s emotion through the facial expressions and body language.

4. 您的两幅作品“流水”和“云中谁寄锦书来”的画面中人物为何有别于其他的作品，出现了经典的西方油画人物？

There are two paintings titled “Flowing Water” and “Miss him deeply” are quite different from other paintings in this exhibition. You used classic occidental beauty in your paintings, why?

借用了西方油画中的维纳斯，一个只存在于神话传说中的美神。置身于古代中国传统的山水之间，是希望这两种存在巨大差异的美并置对抗产生新的能量，升华出第三种美。

I am inspired by the ancient beauty of Venus from the Greek myth. I would like to see how the painting will look like if I put her in the traditional Chinese mountains and rivers. I hope I am able to make another alternative visual beauty through this kind of huge cultural contrast in my paintings.

5. 你的作品给人一种安静，孤独哀而不伤的的感觉，您个人是否很喜欢这种感觉，您是如何欣赏这种另类的美？

Your paintings reveal a strong sense of tranquility, loneliness and a sentimental feeling. Do you personally enjoy this and how would you appreciate it as a special way of beauty?

所谓大音希声，在低吟浅唱间反是能诉出最大心声。乐而不淫、哀而不伤是孔子用来形容诗三百的，一言以蔽之曰“思无邪”。在我看来这是情感至高无上的境界。求而不得之际也要筑起一个实实在在的希望。

Ancient Chinese philosophy believes “Less is More”. The greatest music comes from the nature with simplicity and greatest beauty is intangible from one’s true mind. In my point of view, this is the highest mind of state to appreciate one’s feelings and emotions as well as the courage and the hope to chase the true love in life.

 6. 在你的艺术创作过程中，受到影响最大的艺术家是谁？

In the process of your art creation, which artist has influenced you the most?

从国外不同时期、不同流派国内不同朝代、不同画风的艺术作品中吸收了太多的养分，并不局限于个别艺术家。目前这个系列作品受尼德兰，魏晋、宋、元这几个个时期艺术风格的影响较大。

I have learnt different things from various domestic and international artists through different periods of art history with all kinds of styles. This series of paintings were more inspired and influenced by the 16th century European art as well as the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty Chinese art. ( 5th-13th century in Chinese history).