In addition to the unique ideological content in his paintings, what is more important is his sense of responsibility.
In his paintings, he integrated his heart with people's livelihood and human survival.
Feng Zikai, formerly known as Feng Ren, was born by Mr. Step Chang, a teacher of Fan Guowen, Zhejiang First Normal University. After Feng Zikai returned from studying in Japan, he often published cartoons in newspapers and magazines, and the name "Zikai" became famous all over the world with his cartoons.
Why did so many people go to Japan to study in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China? The main reason is that Empress Dowager Cixi cancelled the imperial examination in the 21st year of Guangxu. After the abolition of the imperial examination, the selection of talents became a problem. At that time, there were no universities in China, so many people went to Japan to study, and the cost was relatively low. And from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, more than 30,000 people went to Japan.
Before Feng Zikai became famous, there were basically no cartoons in China, and most of them were meticulous painters or ink painters. Almost all painters imitate the brush strokes of the ancients to draw flowers, birds, fish, insects and animals.
When Feng Zikai 17 years old, he took Li Shutong as his teacher and began to use charcoal sketching with western techniques. Li Shutong studied in the Western Painting Department of Tokyo Fine Arts School. Feng Zikai used to love painting. Under the influence of Li Shutong, he had a better understanding of the "imported" art, and transformed the popular "a grass comes out of the water, Wu Dai is in the wind" into a more concise and straightforward line.
In the 1930s and 1950s, Feng Zikai's cartoons were very popular with Chinese people. His unique, realistic, humorous and philosophical cartoons are deeply rooted in people's hearts and have influenced generation after generation.
Feng Zikai once said in "Talking about His Paintings" that he was almost surrounded by newspapers and urged by magazines, and his "Zikai cartoons" were even advertised to increase newspaper sales.
According to Huang Pimo, a famous printmaker, he lived in Shanghai as a teenager. When he was a child, he loved reading Feng Zikai's cartoons. As long as it is published in newspapers and periodicals, he will cut it out for collection, read it often and savor it.
Feng Zikai was a popular figure in Shanghai at that time. Only "Zikai Comics" was reprinted 15 times before liberation. His cartoons were a wonderful flower in China art world at that time, and his contribution to China art was creativity and innovation.
Feng Zikai's cartoons are not born. The main nutrition of his creation was influenced by the famous Japanese cartoonist Yuji Takehisa and his contemporary meticulous cartoonist Hirosasuke, especially Yuji Takehisa, which almost influenced his life.
In Feng Zikai's cartoons, many of his works are similar to those of Musashi Yumeji, even in creative techniques and strong lines. For example, when drawing people, everyone likes not to draw eyes, or even ears, nose or mouth. They are all based on meaning, cherish ink as gold, and cherish pens as gold. Feng Zikai also said in his own paintings: when the meaning arrives, the pen will be meaningless.
Feng Zikai's cartoons are always humorous, with a touch of sadness and warmth as the main tone. The difference between him and Takehisa Sukeyoshi is that Feng Zikai devoted more life sighs and reverie, more life interest and human warmth in his creation, and combined the national conditions of China at that time with China people's yearning for peace and cherishing life, which not only had a beautiful image, but also implied beauty.
Yu Pingbo once praised: His paintings are unique creations of China, which have both the simplicity of China painting style and the liveliness of western painting. His paintings are silent prose, silent poems and touching novels.
Why did Feng Zikai win the love of so many people in that era with his simple pen and ink?
I think, in addition to his unique ideology, what is more important is his sense of responsibility. He integrated his heart with people's livelihood and human survival. Therefore, in Feng Zikai's works, wonton stalls, soybean milk shops, barber shops and tea rooms often appear. His brushwork always revolves around ordinary people, ordinary people, people's joys and sorrows, sadness and endless social problems.
When talking about his painting at the invitation of Lin Yutang, Feng Zikai said: I don't like pure landscape painting and still life painting, and I don't like to get into the ancient people's pile to paint those small bridges and flowing water, and the villages are flooded with houses. I hope my paintings have human feelings and social problems, and I hope my paintings are another expression of literary methods.
In fact, this is the difference between Feng Zikai and most of his contemporary painters. He is very expressive and interesting, not only with his pen and ink, but also with his thoughts and humanistic care. Feng Zikai himself said: Painting is like writing an article. When I cry, I try my best to cry, and when I laugh, I try my best to laugh. I like reading books related to the fundamental problems of life and drawing pictures related to life problems.
Feng Zikai's cartoon should be said to be a unique literary container. His container is full of good ideas, kindness and kindness, which are just things hidden deep in the human soul. In any dynasty, no society will be eliminated.
Without Feng Zikai, China's cartoons would not have made such rapid progress at least at that time, and would not have affected more people. With such a simple brushwork, he started a school and became the originator of a generation. China was the only one.
I like reading Feng Zikai's cartoons and his essays. Reading his articles will turn my mind into a calm river. Looking at his cartoons, it seems that his brain will be scratched and his thoughts will laugh from time to time.