Introduction of Liu Baojun's works

By Outstanding Art

Liu Baojun was born in 1963 in Dandong, Liaoning Province; since 2004, he lives in Shanghai. As he started painting when he was 7 year old, his career as an artist already spans 38 years.

In his oil paintings, Liu Baojun shows Chinese ladies leisurely reclining on their sofas, idly wandering, with a feminine elegance. They are not beautiful in the normal sense of the word, but are fashionably attired and seem perfectly at ease in their stylish environment. With their prestigious lifestyle, they appear to represent the ideal of a bygone era. At the same time, there is a hint of irony in the portrayal of these fine ladies.

The female protagonists are often seen smoking a pipe, which is common in the area of Dandong, Liu Biaojun¡¯s home town. In Dandong, smoking is an important part of the culture. Prestigious officials are always accompanied by their pipe and Dandong people will present their highest grade tobacco and their best family pipe to their guests.
Every spring, the black Dandong soil will sprout the green tobacco seedlings. Every late autumn, golden tobacco leaves are drying in the courtyard of each Dandong family farm. By the time the winter cold arrives, every one, from 18 year old girls to 70 year old men sit together to smoke and talk about the year to come¡­...? This is the environment in which Liu Baojun grew up and which we see reflected in his work.

Liu Baojun is a master painter, highly adept at grasping the details using fine brushwork, making his works almost photo realistic. At the same time, his play with color, texture, light and shadow gives his paintings a poetic quality. Liu Baojun chooses a subject rooted in traditional Chinese culture, but combines this with western techniques. He has a profound understanding of traditional presentation, but has integrated this in his modern art. In this way, Liu Baojun has created an aesthetic image that will be imprinted in your mind forever.