China's abstract pioneer Xu Dongdong returns to public life

Happiness Lost, an abstract painting by Xu Dongdong.

"Traditionally Chinese people are not used to abstract thinking. However, there are actually a lot of abstract concepts in our culture."

"I want to find those abstract concepts and tell Chinese stories through my paintings."

During the past few years, Xu has created a series of abstract paintings, which has a distinctive style. The series express his understanding of Chinese philosophical ideas such as being and nothingness; yin and yang; movement and stillness in Taoism; as well as anitya (what is it?) and selflessness in Buddhism.

Souls of Creatures in Four Seasons, his latest series discusses the cycle and meaning of life. It it, the artist uses Chinese rice paper and traditional Chinese brush to create the works on which acrylic pigments are also applied on the moist paper.

Xu believes the series exhibits that Chinese abstract paintings have entered a relatively mature stage, which is why he is returning to public life.

Xu was born in Beijing to a family of scholars, and he showed passion for painting as a kid. He started to learn traditional Chinese painting by imitating works of ancient masters.

In 1986, a collection of his poems and paintings was published. Liu Kaiqu, the then curator of National Art Museum of China, had praised Xu as "a painter with distinctive features and great talent". The following year, a solo exhibition of his works was held at the same museum.