Li Yelin

Li Yelin was born 1939 in the county of Guangan, Sichuan Province, China. Art had caught his attention at the early age of five and was therefore encouraged by his parents.

During his early childhood, he was able to publish a few of his works, which set him apart from the other boys of his age. During later years and still very young he had accomplish as much as five hundred paintings where many were to appear in various kinds of newspapers and periodicals during the 1950’s

During his very early twenties Li Yelin had managed to become employed as an artistic editor for a magazine. This position was an exceptional one for some one his age however he personally felt he was far too immature and decided to resign his position.

Li Yelin then disappeared from the painting circles and decided to make it his goal to seek out the true meaning of art. What he felt was a need to initiate a new format for painting that no one had ever done but would equal any of the great oil and watercolour paintings. This was the beginning of what would be a complete new form of painting… But at this stage it was only the seeds forming in an artistic mind.

Li Yelin was restless because he was aware there was so much to learn and his knowledge was limited. He did not want to be just an artist he knew right from his early years he needed to be amongst his countries best. What was important to him was creating a format that no other had done. To pursue his goal and while still in his early twenties he began to learn everything there was to know about oil paining. It was during this period of oil painting he found himself becoming attached to watercolour, gouache and sketch.

During 1978, Li Yeli had the opportunity to visit an Exhibition of 19th Century French Village Customs Oil Painting in Shanghai. What he witnessed at that exhibition left him in shock. He realised the truth right there with his own eyes that day.

While he was aware that many Oriental painters had been working in oil painting creations. The Western Artist as early as the 19th Century had obtained greater achievements in the field of oil painting. Li Yelin that day realised and recognised the reasons for that. It was the big gap between Eastern and Western Culture. It was very difficult for a Chinese painter to surpass a Western painter even if he devoted all his effects oil painting during his life. In addition why should he (Li Yelin) a Chinese painter follow Western painters at every step? Facing these facts, Li Yelin stopped his oil painting creations and began to consider deeply how he could combine the essence of Chinese painting with that of Western painting and at the same time create a new style format that would also be recognised as Chinese.

From 1978 Li Yelin began in great earnest to learn traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. For the next eight years he worked hard and was able to use freely the skills of the traditional Chinese artist by painting on rice paper. Having achieved that goal Li was not satisfied, he did not want to be just another traditional Chinese artist who followed on the heels of those Chinese masters. At that point his mind turned to his dream. That of creating his personal recognised style, at the same time creates a format no other had done. The turning point in Li’s life had arrived.

“ There is always a distance between idealism and reality. Li, being the stubborn and self-confident person he is, never gave up fighting for his ideals which he knew would only be achieved through his efforts. On the other hand those that were impossible he would cast aside and not think about them”.

Year in year out, one failure after another, and yet he did not give up. Li never bowed to the difficulties he encountered. He devoted every single effort to do his artwork, he even took eating and sleeping as an encumbrances. Life was not easy for the Li family. His wife called him “Painting worm”

Where there is a will, there is a way finally Li Yelin had now achieved his goal his creation was colour ink on rice paper, it was so perfect that anybody standing well back could not tell whether it was an oil painting or not. His works were distinctive and a sure Chinese art with a touch of western also. “Li Yelin” had arrived. After thirty-five years of silence he had returned to the painting arena.

In November 1993 at the first China Art Exposition held by the Ministry of culture in Guangzhou “Li Yelin” was in the spot light. His unique painting set it on fire. In May and November 1994 Li Yelin was asked to do his one-man exhibition at the Sichuan Art Gallery in Chengdu. The Press, aesthetics and critic circles made a host of reports and comments on his works. Many people including young artist wanted to follow and learn Li’s new kind of painting.

Follow the his one man Exhibition he was asked to do an exhibition in New York which was very successful and the beginning of a number of collectors who have been collecting his paintings through the years to our present time. Two years later he held a further exhibition in New York, which was also successful. Li Yelin was then asked to hold an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, which resulted in a further Exhibition some months later as a result of a demand for his work to be seen again.

Li Yelin has since 1996 found him busy with the creation of more paintings and with the constant flow of buyers coming to Chengdu China to his studio he was not able to hold further exhibitions. During those years Li Yelin has built up a personal collection of paintings, which were not available for sell for the reason, he had planned to open his own Gallery, which may or may not happen.