Chinese painting has a long history. Painting on silks in the Warring States period, named Bo Hua in Chinese, is possibly the origin of the Chinese painting. Generally, traditional Chinese painting is characterized by green and blue landscape, shallow purple landscape and non-sketch lines landscape. In the long-term development, natural scenery and local conditions and customs have been following above characteristics. However，He Qibao’s painting works show us the fire’s characteristics，shape, quality and momentum. He has been painting the image of flame and has devoted himself to it. As the founder of the Flame Painting School，Mr. He makes a breakthrough in Chinese painting history.
He Qibao was born in the city of Sanhe, Hebei. Since his birth in 1958, he suffered a lot. Once he was sent to live and work in a production team as an intellectual. His special experience in the mountains, forests and deserts, made his bold and unconstrained character. He learned many years from famous painter Chen Keyong, Bai Xueshi's disciple. That is to say, He Qibao is the indirect-disciple of Bai Xueshi, who was the chairman of Beijing Landscape Painting Research Association. Bai Xueshi painted many times for Zhongnanhai. He Qibao has inherited Bai Xueshi’ability of controlling big spectacle and has created the landscape style of great spectacle, great artistic conception and great boldness of vision, where we can see the Bai School’s landscape unique painting style by traditional techniques and modern tricks, absorbing painting elements of South of China School and North of China School. He Qibao’s painting styles, indistinctly broad vision, powerfully unrestrained color and diversely delicate techniques, are influenced by the painting style of his teacher Chen Keyong. Moreover, with standing on the shoulders of his two mentors and depending on his own gift and hard work, every line of his paintings, strongly gyrating, unstrained color and delicate techniques, manifests his intense emotion and the deep artistic conception. He has formed his own artistic concept based on the traditional painting techniques and styles. He has created his unique painting works, image of flames, originating from his decade’s art making. He has made a revolution in Chinese landscape painting.
Mr. He expresses his thought and emotion by what natural things show in his works. Mr. He deeply studies Buddha dharma and he puts the thoughts of peace, kindness and hope in the first place of artistic creation. He has made intense passion and positive attitude into his painting works. As a unique style, the flames painting works play an important role in He Qibao’s painting career. Through the unique painting of naturally raging flames, he fully expresses the Broad Beauty in his heart, and his unique artistic creation also stands out in traditional Chinese landscape painting.
Mr. He’s best wish is to present the peace, positive attitude and beauty of Buddha dharma in his painting works. As a new medium, image of fire has perfectly expressed the Buddha dharma under Mr. He’s painting techniques.
He Qibao not only makes a breakthrough in painting images but also attains high artistic conception. I luckily saw his two great works, Soul of Mountain Flames and Myriad Lights manifesting his boldness and grandness. Standing before these great works, I was shocked. As Mr. He says, “Mind and thought underlying painting works are the most important things, while techniques of painting works is superficial.” Mr. He’s flames painting based on traditional landscape painting fully contains Buddha dharma what he wants to expresses. It is a perfect combination of traditional painting characteristics, innovative styles and his own thought and emotion.
When we see Mr. He’s painting works, we can shockingly feel that the fire flames up to our face, which shows great scenery. Mr. He boldly gets rid of traditional painting techniques and trivial matters and creates elegant artistic conception, the sky and the earth in one. His great painting works on the understanding of Buddha dharma and life represent his special experience. The artistic conception is unique. His painting style and aesthetics are different from others. The flame painting is the development of traditional wash painting and it also can be thought as a revolution. In Mr. He’s painting works, the contradiction and harmony between water and fire are completely manifested. Mr. He has developed the traditional Chinese painting. His emotion contains the rational conflict and he will pursue freedom and liberty in his painting career.
Personal profile
1975.3-1977.12 working in rural areas
1977.12-1981 working and studying in Huabei Oilfield
1981-1986 working and studying in Daqing Oilfield
1986-1991 working and studying in Huabei Oilfield
1991-1993 working and studying in Tuha Oilfield, Xinjiang
1994 entering into Central Academy of Fine Arts to study
1999-2000 working and studying in Yanji Oilfield, Xinjiang
2000-2001 working and studying in Huabei Oilfield
2009 learning from Chen Keyong, Chinese famous painter of landscape and studying in Research Institute of Chinese landscape Painting
藝術家何起寶
藝術家何起寶
藝術家何起寶
藝術家何起寶