In the field of literature and art, Mr. Ma Xiaoxiao is a multi-faceted and accomplished person. As he described in his self-deprecating couplet when he was 60 years old, "I love poetry, calligraphy and painting four times, and my life is bitter and sweet." During the ups and downs of his life, he formed an indissoluble bond with poetry, literature, books, and paintings, and created one brilliance after another.
Ma Xiaoxiao was influenced by his mother since childhood and loves poetry and painting. Whether it was during his wandering years, the war years, the Cultural Revolution, or even now, he has never stopped writing poetry and painting. After his first poem "The Legend of the Stone Arch" was published in Yanhe in 1959, it caused a sensation in the poetry world, and poets gathered for discussions. From then on, he became famous. In 1976, he was imprisoned in a cowshed. He used more than three years of burning boilers to compose his second narrative poem "Cui Di Yin". In this poem, he perfectly combines narrative and lyricism, leaving a deep impression on people with its lingering charm and majestic momentum. After the poem was published in "Yanhe" in 1981, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House published it separately, which shows its great influence. Ma Xiaoxiao's poems are clear about love and hate, praising justice and lashing out evil. He used the call from the depths of his soul to infect and educate the world. In terms of form and charm, it achieves the perfect fusion of traditional poetry and folk songs.
Ma Xiaoxiao is one of the early leaders of the Chinese Couplet Society, the president after Wei Tradition, and is currently the honorary president. His couplets are as profound as his articles, fresh and bold, and have a strong personality. He is modest, sincere, knowledgeable and self-disciplined. He is a recognized model in the couplet world and has an excellent reputation.
Ma Xiaoxiao’s calligraphy has benefited from his diligent study since childhood and his many years of extensive research. His calligraphy is very simple, very standardized, and has its own style. He is a true scholar, every word has its source and every word is full of emotion. In recent years, his calligraphy works have spread all over the country, and many famous mountains and ancient temples have his calligraphy paintings, which add color to the mountains and rivers and bring brilliance to the landscape.
Mr. Ma Xiaoxiao’s achievements in painting should be said to be very brilliant. On the road of painting, there were at least two things that played a decisive role in him and made him unforgettable for the rest of his life: The first thing was that he received the kind care and education from Mr. Xu Beihong. In 1946, under the recommendation of the famous painter Situ Qiao, I met Mr. Beihong. One afternoon in late June of that year, he came to Mr. Beihong's residence with the sketches he had made during his wanderings. When he learned that Mr. Beihong was not feeling well and was resting, he left a note and prepared to come back another day. When he was about to walk out of the alley, he suddenly heard someone calling from behind. When he turned around, he saw that it was Mr. Beihong waving. This meeting was unforgettable for Ma Xiaoxiao. Mr. Beihong praised his paintings as "tasteful" and taught him painting techniques sincerely. The mystery that had puzzled him for many years was finally solved. From then on, his painting skills greatly improved under the guidance of Mr. Beihong. The horses he wrote captured the essence of Mr. Beihong. The second thing is his friendship with Huang Zhou and Shi Lu. In the autumn of 1946, he was fortunate enough to get acquainted with Huang Zhou. Because of their similar interests, the two formed a brotherly friendship. In 1948, he met Shi Lu at Yan'an University. Under the auspices of Shi Lu, he participated in the creation of Yan'an New Year paintings. After the liberation of Xi'an, Ma Xiaoxiao introduced Huang Zhou to Shi Lu. At the same time, he actively participated in the preparations by Zhao Wangyun, Shi Lu, Huang Zhou and others to establish the Xi'an Art Workers Association. Huang Zhou and Shi Lu had a profound influence on Ma Xiaoxiao's artistic creation.
Speaking of Ma Xiaoxiao’s paintings, I think he inherited the legacy of Mr. Beihong and at the same time absorbed the strengths of hundreds of schools of thought. It is an authentic Chinese painting. In painting, he attaches great importance to taking into account the four aspects of "pen, ink, shape and spirit". He believes that paying attention to brush and ink is the most important feature of Chinese painting. The pen represents a force, a tendency, a mood and style. These should be shown in the "pen", and the vivid charm should be shown in the ink. Chinese painting attaches great importance to verve, and verve must be reflected through images. The so-called "conveying spirit through form" and "both form and spirit". Nowadays, some people imitate Western abstraction, and one-sidedly emphasize not seeking resemblance in form, but value "dissimilarity". Mr. Wang openly opposes this view. Art pays attention to image, and abstraction without image is untenable.
For decades, Mr. Wang has adhered to these mottos, emphasizing the harmony of form and spirit in every work he creates. His plum blossoms change the previous emphasis on "sparse, thin, solitary, and proud"; at the same time, they are not blindly luxuriant, but highlight the display of pride in the luxuriance, in other words, they must be both proud and pretty. The lotus he painted is fresh and tranquil, and the charm of the lotus is captured in just a few strokes, which is thought-provoking.
Ma Xiaoxiao uses horses to express his feelings and aspirations when he paints horses. He never paints static, lifeless horses, nor does he paint horses lying in stables. The horses he painted were all high-spirited and vigorous, with wind in their hooves. They were all horses that would rather "froze to death and howl in the wind, or starve to death without bending their knees." I remember that in September 2000, when he saw the triumphal scene of the Chinese Olympic athletes on TV, he couldn't contain his excitement. He immediately unrolled the scroll and splashed ink. In less than half an hour, he created a heart-warming picture of a galloping horse, which symbolizes China. The rise of the nation. The signature is "Olympic·Cheer for the Chinese Athletes"!
The Hualiu is Xiaoxiao, and the crane's hair is Xiaoxiao. Although Mr. Ma is already an octogenarian, he refuses to accept old age. He is not old. He is always young on the road of art. If you use Du Zimei's poem "A horse with frost hoofs thousands of miles away" to describe him, it can't be more accurate. Facing the brilliant sunset, Ma Xiaoxiao is always an enterprising person. He does not need to raise his whip, but the frost will never stop! (Originally published in "Asian Calligraphy and Painting News")