High Life

HIGH LIFE #13 Oct 2017 31 “At that time Shanghai Library had been shut down and there was almost nothing about western modern art to be found,” he says. “I used identification stating that I was an architect – that I had studied architecture – and by using that excuse I was able to access a few architectural magazines, inside which I would sometimes find some photos of obscure modernistic paintings.” It is truly remarkable that Mio was able to glean and record information about western modern painting in this way, putting together several thick books on the subject through sheer perseverance and patience. “Now the young generation just need to buy a book about modern art history to get the knowledge they need, but we had to spend years sorting it out,” he explains. “On the other hand, the time we spent allowed us to make a more profound impression. “A lot of artists who have achieved something came from a difficult environment. A person’s experience is also his own exercise, no matter how hard it was at the time. Suffering can hone your will and in this case, maybe it’s not a bad thing.” When the Cultural Revolution started, Mio was forced to abandon western trends and devoted himself instead to the officially accepted art forms – Chinese calligraphy and traditional Chinese art – during the next 10 years. It ultimately led him to mix the Chinese and western concepts he had learnt, developing “Neo-Orientalism” in the process – a new concept that provided a feasible alternative to Chinese modern art in the 1980s. In1982,Miomoved fromShanghai toMacauwherehe took advantage of the free environment to concentrate on hiswork. In 1986, he travelled to Europe for artistic exploration. The trip enabled him to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the development of western art from classical to modern. From those studies his own creative path became clear: a journey from abstract idealism to an exploration beyond. “After moving to Macau, I tried almost every form of western art apart from Action art,” he explains. “But eventually I decided to return to my own culture. Westerners have their advantages and we Chinese have ours as well so after seeing the whole art scene I wanted to return and look at it through Chinese eyes. “For example, Neo-Orientalism requires a deep understanding of both western and Chinese culture. The previous Orientalism was an example of foreigners learning from the east just because they were curious, like Van Gogh imitating the Japanese Ukiyo-e – it was very superficial.