Inspiration becomes a numbers game

Artist wants to capture 'Renaissance of Chinese culture' at the Expo, Zhang Kun reports.

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Seventy-five-year-old artist T. F. Chen has chosen the Expo Garden for his next source of inspiration, determined to create 100 paintings about the Expo 2010 Shanghai.

"It's a Renaissance of Chinese culture, how can I be absent from such an unprecedented event?" the artist asked excitedly at his newly opened exhibition space on Shangnan Road.

In addition to the 40 Expo-themed paintings, some of Chen's previous representative paintings are on exhibition in the new gallery.

Chen has been painting cultural icons and major events and celebrations since the mid-1980s.

Chen was born in Taiwan in 1935 and studied at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, earning a PhD in art history and a Masters in French contemporary Literature from La Sorbonne, Paris.

After 12 years in France, he moved to the United States.

In 1986, when the US celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, Chen finished 100 paintings focused on the American icon. Later he identified his art style as "Neo-Iconography", which combined many visual icons, including images from classical paintings, landmark buildings and commercial brands, to create his paintings.

In 2008, while in Beijing, he created 66 paintings focused on the Olympic Games. Now with the Expo in Shanghai, Chen believes this to be his best playground.

"I'm good at painting celebrations and this is the largest celebration in the whole world," he said.

On the 46 paintings that he has already finished, Chen depicted the China Pavilion and the Sunshine Valley in the Expo Garden, and the Oriental Pearl Tower, one of Shanghai's most famous landmarks, in bright colors and brushes strokes similar to Vincent van Gogh.

"There is so much to paint - 184 countries and many other pavilions. I had to wait in line for hours before I could visit one pavilion. That's why I haven't been inside the China Pavilion yet," he said.

Chen and his wife Lucia found an apartment near the Expo Garden soon after they arrived in Shanghai on March 28.

"I bought 70 tickets to the Expo, so that I will be able to visit anytime and get inspiration," he said.

He sees the future of art changing in a way that focuses on humanity.

"I have my original theory about the global culture," he said.

"People used to call for 'art for life' and 'art for art's sake', now I want to propose 'art for humanity'. I will combine all the important icons to create new images for world peace and the happiness of all human beings."