:: The Artist

 

Yao Yuan :
painter, calligraphist, sculptor, photographer, movie director and composer

Born as Wen Yuan Yuan, today he is internationally known simply as Yao Yuan. His lineage traces back 24 generations to the famous national hero Wen Tian Xiang (see below).Yao Yuan was inspired by the wisdom, purity and integrity of the spirit of his ancestors to blaze new trails as a contemporary artist. Famous in his own right in China as an extremely versatile artist, he has begun to achieve recognition in the far reaches of the globe.

His recent works:

In 1996, at the proposal of Vice-Premier Li Lan Qing and as the symbol of friendship between China and Korea, a copper sculpture of a «Conch Girl» was presented to South Korea. The statue was placed in the Sculpture Park on Cheju Island of Korea and is the only sculpture created by a foreign artist to be placed there.

In 1997, in order to celebrate the return of Hong Kong to China, his «Symphonic Cantata Ode to the Great Wall» was broadcast throughout China on CCTV. A newspaper called it “a passionate melody flowing in the blood vessels of the Chinese nation.”

In 1998, for the return of Macao to China, another of Yao Yuan’s musical compositions «Symphonic Cantata Ode to China» was played during the fireworks. It aroused great response throughout the country as it was simultaneously broadcast on CCTV, Hong Kong and Phoenix TV Stations.

On January1, 2000, twelve central departments and bureaus of China was acknowledged Yao Yuan’s sculpture «Twin Chinese Dragons» as one of his greatest creations. It stands for the unification of China, Great Wall, Yellow River, Democracy and Integrity. It was first unveiled at the Chinese History Museum as “the auspicious totem of the Chinese Nation” and it now stands in front of the Central TV Tower in Beijing.

Also in year 2000, for the 55th anniversary of the victory of World War II, China presented a copper sculpture by Yao Yuan to Russia called «In Memory of the War against the Nazism». It is now in the Moscow Central Museum.

Yao Yuan also created a fifteen-meter long calligraphy «Songs of Integrity» by using four calligraphic styles, Zhuan, Wei, Ni, Jian. For this he was awarded the special honorary prize by Europe-Orient Art Competition and was invited to be a professor at Europe-Orient Art Institute.

On January1, 2001, Yao Yuan created his first stainless-steel sculpture «Goddess of Peace». The statue was inaugurated at the Friendship Square in Beijing. Foreign Minister Tang Jia Xuan and many envoys and foreign friends from different countries attended the unveiling ceremony. It has now become the symbol of peace and friendship of China.

 

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* Wen Tian Xiang is a major hero in the Chinese history. Eight hundred years ago, he was the prime minister of Han peoples’ Nan Song dynasty that was conquered by the Mongolians. He became a legend when he refused to surrender even after his own Emperor had capitulated. The Mongolian General repeatedly tried to persuade him to become Prime Minister of the their new regime. but he refused and was beheaded. He became famous to later generations for his saying: “No one can avoid death, I can only leave my loyal heart to history”