Traditional style aims to capture beauty of nature

many important sites, such as Zhongnanhai, the traditional residential compound of Chinese leaders, as well as the offices of the State Council, Tiananmen Tower and the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Yu’s works have also been displayed in a range of national and international exhibitions. From 1986 to 1997, he held his exhibitions in such places as Beijing, Guangzhou and New York.

Both the themes and artistic techniques have won widespread praise in the past years. Yu’s works tend to be more elaborate and decorative than many others of the same genre.

While observing traditional rules, he uses accurate lines, powerful brush movements, contrasting gradations of ink, space, as well as the interplay between dark and light to represent the harmony and vitality of nature.

Though he adopts a realistic style, Yu said he tries to imbue his work with eternal spiritual beauty through his brush.

“That feeling later turned into the images of chirping birds and elegant flowers in my paintings.”

Thanks to his careful observation of nature and artistic sensitivity, Yu was able to combine realistic depiction with artistic expression in his brushwork.

Now as deputy director of the Academy of Chinese Gongbi Painting of Flowers and Birds and a national top-level artist, Yu maintains a simple and easy-going style.

In addition to artistic creation, Yu has devoted himself to promoting his painting style as a cultural legacy, including holding exhibitions at UN headquarters, publishing more than 100 million copies of painting albums and writing letters to state leaders calling for more support for the art.

“Art is part of my life,” Yu said. “I am proud to be a flower-bird painter. I hope to create a bright future for it through my efforts.”

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