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| Havoc in Heaven Artist: Guan Liang [Photo/ english.cguardian.com] |
People are always questioning Guan Liang’s paintings: they look just like children’s work, why are they so valuable? Even some great writers applauded Guan Liang’s paintings, and some famous painters exchanged their works with him. The answer comes from the question itself. Guan Liang’s painting is valuable because it’s just like children’s work, with the innocent heart of an art addict.
Guan Liang (1900–1986), courtesy name Lianggong, was an important representative of the first generation of oil painters in China.
Guan Liang was born in Panyu, Guangdong province. In 1917 he went to Tokyo to study oil painting and violin, just for fun at the beginning. Guan Liang was fun-loving since he was a child. He adored Peking Opera and visited theaters when he was very young. It laid the foundation for his unique portrayal of Peking Opera figures.
Let’s have a look on Guan’s portrayals of Peking Opera figures, and the stories behind the paintings:
1. Havoc in Heaven
The story ofHavoc in Heavenis based on the earliest chapters of the Ming Dynasty novel Journey to the West. The main character is Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, who rebels against the Jade Emperor of heaven.
