One day an artist - La Trung Lap

Luo Zhongli is a Chinese contemporary oil painter born in Chongqing in 1948. In 1977, he was admitted to the Oil Painting Department of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (SFAI). After graduating in 1982, he stayed on as a faculty member. In 1984, he went to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in Belgium and returned to China to teach in 1986. He has previously served as the President of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association.

His academic and creative career has been closely intertwined with China's social transitions. He spent his youth at the Affiliated High School of SFAI and was later sent down to do manual labor in the Daba Mountains during the "Cultural Revolution." This rural experience had a profound influence on his later artistic creations. Following the restoration of the National College Entrance Examination in 1977, he successfully enrolled in the Oil Painting Department of SFAI.

01. Evolution of Artistic Style

1. Realism Period (Late 1970s - Early 1980s)

Represented by his masterpiece "Father", this stage adopted hyper-realistic techniques to meticulously depict the image of ordinary Chinese peasants. His works from this period are full of humanitarian care and social critical awareness, expressing respect and compassion for ordinary people by portraying the hardships of peasant life.

2. Expressionism Exploration Period (Mid-1980s - 1990s)

After returning from his studies in Europe, Luo Zhongli's style shifted towards Expressionism. The aesthetic realism of his early days was gradually replaced by an expressive approach that emphasized intuition and painterly brushwork.

03. Diverse Exploration Period (2000s - Present)

During this stage, Luo transformed rural subjects into semi-abstract rough lines and magnificent colors, incorporating elements of traditional Chinese folk art. His color palette evolved from deep and restrained to bright and airy, leading to creations like the "Crossing the River" series.

02. Artistic Themes and Concepts

1. Peasants and Rural Sentiment

With the core belief that "peasants are my unchanging motif," his creations transitioned from early sympathetic, realistic depictions to expressing the cultural essence of peasants. He portrays both their suffering and ordinary moments of everyday life, as seen in the rural scenes of "Going to the Market" and "Crossing the River".

2. Sino-Western Art Dialogue

Luo emphasizes that Chinese contemporary art should be rooted in tradition while promoting a dialogue between Chinese and Western art. His "Rereading Art History" series reinterprets Western classics using a folk art visual language.

3. Ode to Vitality

His works constantly overflow with a primal vitality. Through simple living, fierce emotions, and rustic customs, he constructs folk paintings with a strong, untamed flavor of the mountains and wilderness.

03. Representative Works

"Father": A monumental milestone in the history of Chinese contemporary art. Based on the prototype of Deng Kaixuan, a villager from Sima Town, Pingchang County in Sichuan, this painting generates a tremendous visual impact through its massive scale and hyper-realistic techniques, profoundly capturing the resilience and sacrifices of Chinese peasants.
"Hometown" Series, "Crossing the River" Series, "Daba Mountain Peasant Family": These works continue his focus on the lives of peasants in the Daba Mountains, depicting the daily routines, emotions, and vitality of rural life from various perspectives.