Cheung Chi Wai’s approach to painting exemplifies a genuine humanistic spirit and even penetrates the divine realm. From the vast universe depicted in his works, it is evident that he possesses a profound understanding of Laozi’s philosophy. There is no pretense in his artwork; instead, it deeply reveals the rich and authentic personalities and destinies of various characters.
A smile weathered by vicissitudes, this is an intriguing mix of laughter tinged with tears and tears tinged with laughter. From his expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, one can glimpse a special and even distant blend of reason and emotion that is also immediate. His smile is genuine, containing profound secrets like celestial scripts, lofty, vast, and extensive. This smile is not merely captivating but deeply enchanting and enduring. Cheung Chi Wai’s works do not feature smiles with a heavy creaminess or subtle coquettishness. Instead, he portrays smiles that, having endured hardships, tortures, and adversities, finally grasp a true essence, sometimes mystifying to comprehend. Yet, it is these profound smiles that distill the characters’ personalities and destinies, elevating them amidst tragedy. Those who believe themselves to stand in the light of happiness rarely empathize deeply with souls tormented in hellish conditions. Cheung Chi Wai in his paintings emits a profound outcry and scream against the suffering of life!
Art is not merely about the fluttering of butterflies, the buzzing of bees, or the fragrant blooming of flowers—scenes best suited for the journals of young boys and girls. Cheung Chi Wai does not seek these fleeting beauties, as he has moved beyond that age. His paintings profoundly reflect his own life, marked by storms and fraught with fate.
Cheung Chi Wai feels immense happiness and joy, which stems from depicting those who are unhappy and unfortunate. He does not vehemently criticize the dark aspects of society with a fierce and angry demeanor; instead, he opts for a witty and humorous style, prompting deep societal reflection amid a reality filled with laughter and tears. He penetrates the human soul with emotions and critiques societal recklessness with subtlety. Each of his paintings is like a thrown javelin or a sharp dagger, deeply probing the ugliness of human nature. Every piece is an essay within a painting, filled with simmering anger waiting to burst forth. Suddenly, we awaken amidst groans, realizing that every artistic creator should bear this responsibility and spirit, guiding humanity gently through the tunnel of time from ancient to modern days.
We revere the sun, for its hidden side always emits a mysterious green glow; we crave greenery, for it represents a culture that is pure and unpolluted. I believe this path is both deeper and more profound. When humanity and all things merge with this path, all the grotesque and ugliness of the world will vanish beyond the distant horizon.
(This text is the foreword to “The Portrait Collection of Cheung Chi Wai,” published by Lingnan Fine Arts Publishing House.)