By the 1930s, Shanghai had firmly established itself as the center of East Asia. As a major trading port for China, it had grown to become one of the world's largest cities, boasting a population of over 3 million people. This sophisticated cosmopolitan metropolis was a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, and a vibrant hub for music, cinema, and fashion. It was in this decade that the development of the qipao became closely intertwined with the development of the city itself.

Art has always been a reflection of the human soul. To me, it serves as a bridge that transcends language, culture, and borders. Growing up in Shanghai, a city that once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Paris and London as one of the world's great metropolises, I was surrounded by a unique fusion of East and West. The Art Deco buildings, bustling streets, and the cultural renaissance of the 1930s left an indelible mark on me. Yet, even within such a vibrant urban space, there was always an undercurrent of isolation—a palpable sense of distance between people.

In my paintings, the figures often lack facial features. This absence is intentional—it invites the viewer to step into the canvas and project their own emotions and stories onto the characters. It reflects the modern urban experience, where people often conceal their true feelings beneath polite facades. The blank faces symbolize the universality of human emotions, reminding us that beneath our differences, we share the same inner struggles and dreams.

I draw inspiration from my Eastern roots and Western experiences. While living in Europe, I was deeply moved by the way light and color transform landscapes, much like how memories and emotions shape our inner worlds. In Provence, the brilliant sunlight and vivid poppy fields warmed and energized my heart. In Germany, the works of Expressionist masters taught me to explore emotions through bold forms and colors. These influences, combined with my memories of Shanghai, form the foundation of my artistic language.

Each painting is an invitation—to reflect, to feel, to see something familiar in the unfamiliar. In the metropolis, where interactions are often reduced to polite exchanges, I hope my art creates a space where genuine emotions can surface, a space where people can not only find the faces of others but also discover their own reflections.

艺术一直是人类灵魂的反映，对我来说，它是一座跨越语言、文化和边界的桥梁。 在上海长大，这座城市曾经与巴黎和伦敦并肩，成为世界大都市之一，我被东西方的独特融合所包围。 这座城市的装饰艺术建筑、繁华的街道和20世纪30年代的文化复兴给我留下了不可磨灭的印记。 然而，即使在如此充满活力的城市空间中，也总是有一种孤立的暗流，人与人之间的距离感。

在我的画中，这些人物往往缺乏面部特征。 这种缺席是故意的——它邀请观众走进画布，将他们自己的情感和故事投射到角色身上。 它反映了现代城市体验，人们在礼貌的外表下隐藏自己的真实感受。 空洞的脸象征着人类情感的普遍性，提醒我们，在我们的差异下，我们都有着相同的内心挣扎和梦想。

我从东方的根源和西方的经历中汲取灵感。 当我在欧洲生活时，我对光线和色彩改变风景的方式印象深刻，就像记忆和情感的内心风景一样。 在普罗旺斯，灿烂的阳光和鲜艳的罂粟花田让我的心变得更温暖、更充满活力。 在德国，表现主义大师的作品教会了我通过大胆的形式和颜色来探索情感。 这些影响，加上我对上海的记忆，构成了我艺术语言的基础。

每幅画都是一种邀请——反思、感受、在陌生事物中看到熟悉的东西。 在大都市人与人之间的互动经常被简化为礼貌的交流，我希望我的艺术创造一个真实情感可以浮出水面的空间，在那里人们不仅可以找到他人的脸，还可以找到自己的反映。

谢谢村长长途跋涉辛苦爬到三楼来看我，荷兰的冬天因为您的到来有了暖意，后来又在汉源汇亲自手剥核桃给我吃，太感动了。

每个画家在不同时期都会面对风格与生活的成长，不被风格捆绑，不为生活所累，舒展自己内心的感觉是可遇不可求的，但不是每个人都有这个条件与机遇，珍惜自己所拥有的。身边有太多优秀的艺术家值得我学习，艺术的魅力就是可以不断随着自己的内心成长，和旅行有点儿同样的意思。从小就在自己的精神世界里游荡，画面也是自己内心的投射，绘画无需与人合作，可以独立完成，在寻找的路上……一步步将情绪转化为艺术，彼此共情。
我画的上海是我心中的上海，画面中的人物有些来自亲人和朋友，有些来自记忆。
在离开故乡上海的二十多年中，我在独特的文化背景和艺术生涯下创作了一系列以上海为主题的绘画作品；
往返在上海和欧洲之间的生活给了我无限的灵感和创作空间，无论是用画布、水墨、影像或数字绘画，都充满了探索的乐趣。
在《画说》中，张大千作过不少中西绘画的论述：
作画根本无中西之分。
中西绘画，理论上是相通的。毕加索曾亲口告诉我，他自己就受到中国画的影响而有所变化。近代我国画家也在吸收西画的优点。所以我说中国画与西画，应无多大的距离和分别。
一个人若能将西画的长处溶化到中国画里来，要看起来完全是中国画的神韵，不留丝毫西画的外貌，这定要绝顶聪明的天才同非常勤苦的用功，才能有此成就，稍一不慎，便走火入魔了。

My Asian Period
Before I came to Europe, I have lived and worked for many years in China, Malaysia and Singapore. I especially worked on a series of rather nostalgic paintings based on the subject of Old Shanghai, including the qipao or cheonsam dresses that the Shanghai girls used to wear.

Kunst is altijd een weerspiegeling van de menselijke ziel geweest. Voor mij is het een brug die taal, cultuur en grenzen overstijgt. Opgegroeid in Shanghai, een stad die ooit naast Parijs en Londen stond als een van de grote wereldmetropolen, was ik omringd door een unieke fusie van Oost en West. De Art Deco-gebouwen, bruisende straten en de culturele renaissance van de jaren 30 hebben een onuitwisbare indruk op mij achtergelaten. Toch was er, zelfs in zo'n levendige stedelijke ruimte, altijd een onderstroom van isolatie—een voelbare afstand tussen mensen.

In mijn schilderijen hebben de figuren vaak geen gelaatstrekken. Deze afwezigheid is opzettelijk—het nodigt de kijker uit om het doek binnen te stappen en hun eigen emoties en verhalen op de personages te projecteren. Het weerspiegelt de moderne stedelijke ervaring, waarin mensen vaak hun ware gevoelens verbergen achter beleefde maskers. De lege gezichten symboliseren de universaliteit van menselijke emoties en herinneren ons eraan dat we, ondanks onze verschillen, dezelfde innerlijke worstelingen en dromen delen.

Ik put inspiratie uit mijn oosterse wortels en westerse ervaringen. Tijdens mijn verblijf in Europa werd ik diep geraakt door hoe licht en kleur landschappen transformeren, net zoals herinneringen en emoties onze innerlijke wereld vormgeven. In de Provence verwarmden het stralende zonlicht en de levendige klaprozenvelden mijn hart en gaven het energie. In Duitsland leerden de werken van de expressionistische meesters me emoties te verkennen door middel van gedurfde vormen en kleuren. Deze invloeden, gecombineerd met mijn herinneringen aan Shanghai, vormen de basis van mijn artistieke taal.

Elk schilderij is een uitnodiging—om te reflecteren, te voelen, om iets bekends te zien in het onbekende. In de metropool, waar interacties vaak worden gereduceerd tot beleefde uitwisselingen, hoop ik dat mijn kunst een ruimte creëert waar oprechte emoties naar boven kunnen komen, een ruimte waar mensen niet alleen de gezichten van anderen vinden, maar ook hun eigen reflecties ontdekken.