Rao Yong once painted a painting titled "Frost Leaves Reddish in February Flowers". On the painting, the frost leaves are like fire, and two starlings are perched on the old tree as if they are meditating. The whole painting There is calmness in the enthusiasm, and solemnity in the liveliness. I think this may be the best portrayal of Rao Yong's artistic life.
Rao Yong’s life experience is indeed like a maple leaf that has experienced frost. He was born on the eve of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in the beautiful "border town" described by Mr. Shen Congwen - Huayuan County (Yongsui) in Xiangxi, Hunan. His ancestral home is Anqing. He has now settled in Chizhou, southern Anhui for nearly sixty years. Perhaps it was his upbringing in the beautiful mountains and rivers of western Hunan and southern Anhui that made him keen on art since childhood. He was inspired by Anhui Chizhou painters Mo Yuntao and Cheng Xin, and first realized the art. Since 1962, he has successively studied under traditional Chinese painting masters Li Kuchan, Wang Bomin, Huang Yecun, Sun Qifeng, etc., devoted himself to studying Chinese painting, and his painting skills have improved day by day. However, he had a bad fate. In 1958, his father was mistakenly classified as a "rightist", which affected the whole family. During the "Cultural Revolution", Rao Yong, who was only 20 years old, was sent to the countryside to do farm work for 13 years. He was labeled as a counter-revolutionary because of the unnecessary "political issues" in the painting, and was imprisoned and faced hardships. But the fire of art always burned in his heart, and he persisted in painting and writing diligently in the face of adversity.
Rao Yong is a painter who is good at writing. His landscape, flower and bird paintings pay special attention to style and poetic feeling. Reading his works is like listening to an elegant and lively piece of music, reading a simple and fresh ancient poem, or tasting a cup of fragrant tea with a rich color and taste. This is mainly due to his profound artistic quality. He is well versed in the true meaning of "external teachers create good fortune, and internally obtain the source of the heart". On the one hand, he is diligent in scholarship, comprehensively involved in history, theory, poetry, literature, and calligraphy, and has learned widely. On the other hand, he integrates the past and the present, and goes deep into Life requires reform and innovation. He combined the traditional brush and ink techniques of Chinese painting with modern texture painting techniques, and made full use of the organic combination of water and ink to show everything at the end of the brush. He gradually formed a deep and simple, simple and clear, fresh and meaningful painting style, which is highly praised by today's painting circles. Pay attention. His works have been selected into the "Collection of Contemporary Chinese Flower and Bird Paintings", "Collection of Contemporary Chinese Landscape Paintings", "Selected Collection of Chinese Art", "Contemporary Chinese Painting", "Collection of Contemporary World Celebrities Paintings" (Bangkok), "Anhui Contemporary Chinese Painting Collection", "Hui Ink Collection" Home" and more than 60 volumes of paintings. There are more than 20 dictionaries and anthologies including "Who's Who of Chinese Contemporary Artists" and "The Charm of Chinese Calligraphy and Ink" (Hong Kong). More than 200 pieces of Chinese paintings have been published in "Art", "Traditional Chinese Painters", "People's Daily", "Chinese Calligraphy and Painting News", "Art News", "Anhui Daily", "Art Time and Space", "Xizhi Calligraphy and Painting News" and other newspapers and periodicals . His paintings are collected by art museums and individuals in Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, the United States and Western Europe.
In recent years, Rao Yong has edited more than ten volumes of calligraphy and painting collections, which has attracted widespread attention in the domestic calligraphy and painting circles. "Jiuhuashan Chinese Painting Research Institute Calligraphy and Painting Collection" displays the artistic style of calligraphers and painters in Chizhou City. "The Moon Is Hometown Ming Dynasty Famous Calligraphy and Painting Works Collection" includes the works of 235 calligraphers and painters from 32 provinces and cities across the country, enabling Chizhou calligraphy and painting to have active artistic exchanges with the national calligraphy and painting circles. The "Jiuhua Calligraphy and Painting News" edited and published by him and distributed nationwide has built an artistic bridge, closely connecting the Chizhou calligraphy and painting circles with the contemporary Chinese calligraphy and painting circles.
As Vice Chairman of the Chizhou Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Chairman of the Guichi District Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and a member of the Standing Committee of the Chizhou CPPCC, Rao Yong vigorously encourages underachievers. Over the past 20 years, he has often invited well-known calligraphers and painters from all over the country to Chizhou for collecting, sketching, and holding exhibitions. He has led calligraphers and painters from the Chizhou Jiuhuashan Chinese Painting Research Institute to hold calligraphy and painting exhibitions in Shandong, Henan, Gansu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and other provinces and Taiwan for many times to strengthen cultural and artistic exchanges and spare no effort to promote rising stars. He also founded the "Jiuhua Painting and Calligraphy News" in China as early as 2000 to publish and distribute national calligraphy and painting circles to promote national art and local culture.
As a painter, he is a member of the Chinese Artists Association, a director of the Anhui Artists Association, the vice president of the Anhui Zhongshan Painting Academy, the executive vice chairman of the Chizhou Artists Association, and the Chizhou Jiuhuashan Chinese Painting Research Institute. His "Collection of Rao Yong's Chinese Paintings", "Collection of Rao Yong's Paintings - Peony", and "Collection of Rao Yong's Paintings - Rao Yong's Essays on Calligraphy and Painting" further demonstrate his artistic talent in calligraphy and painting. What is especially valuable is that he successively edited and published the "Jiuhua Landscape Poetry, Calligraphy and Painting Collection" and "Chizhou Landscape Poetry, Calligraphy and Painting Collection" signed by Mr. Zhao Puchu. He invited contemporary famous calligraphers and ancient painters to chant hundreds of poems and works by Chizhou, and made contributions to promote local culture. unremitting efforts. At the end of 2006, the Chizhou Municipal Government and the Municipal Construction Committee asked him to plan and select 114 paintings and calligraphy works to be carved on stone on the banks of Qingxi River in Chizhou, covering a 240-meter long corridor for people to appreciate, and it became a wonder of Chizhou municipal engineering construction.
At the end of 2006, he was rated as an advanced individual in literature, art and journalism practice by the Propaganda Department of the Chizhou Municipal Party Committee.
Today's painting world is noisy, but Rao Yong has always maintained a pure land in his heart. He is indifferent to himself, humble to others, and honest. Rao Yong said that a real painter should be ambitious, and it is a blessing to be able to make wedding dresses for others. He wanted to promote Chizhou's painting, calligraphy and poetry culture to the whole country, and promote Jiuhua Mountain to the world. This was his lifelong wish. A cultural person pays attention to literature and character. Your character should include your mind, and only by having a great mind can your works be deep and substantial. This is why we admire Rao Yong.