Sweat and talent

A work by Huang Yongyu. Photo provided to China Daily

Another work, a mural called Great Unity of Chinese People of Various Ethnic Groups, which Huang created in 1959, also deserves much attention, because it is one of the only two Chinese mural works of the 1950s left today.

On Tuesday, the first part of Huang's autobiography, titled A Wanderer over the Carefree Waters - Zhu Que City, was officially launched at the museum by People's Literature Publishing House. It gives a vivid portrait of his childhood in the scenic county of Fenghuang, Hunan province.

Huang associates the warmth and enthusiasm of his art with his early years in his hometown and his later experiences as a vagrant during chaotic times.

"Confucius said that 'I lived a humble life in childhood, thus I've acquired a lot of skills'. I'm also much more familiar with the lives of the underprivileged. I totally understand what they think and say. I paint, write and make things that most viewers feel attached to," Huang says.

He says the power of his works comes from his bravery and his positive attitude toward life.

"I'm doing my best to live a normal and peaceful life, even when it does not always go that smoothly. I solve life problems by painting, and when painting is not expressive enough, I turn to sculpture and furthermore, to writing."

Humor is another keynote that has made his artistic charm appreciated by more people.

He jokes that he was born not a serious man. "I'm not someone who will ponder over majestic questions such as the meaning of life as soon as he wakes up. The moment I get out of bed, I only think about how to write and paint.

"One can't enjoy life if he spends all day long thinking about the meaning of everything."

National Museum of China's director Lyu Zhangshen comments that Huang not only incorporates the mainstream of Chinese and Western cultures in his hierarchy of knowledge; he also expresses folk wisdom in his diversified creations.

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