自述

　　2002年初夏，我狂热的画鞋子，一个阳光刺眼的午后，在团结湖路口遇到李松松，我即刻从书包里掏出一堆画作照片给他。一张张翻过，他对我说：「你知道，安迪沃霍也画过许多鞋子。」「啊！是吗？」这真是晴天霹雳，我恼懊地回到家，不记得他还说过些什么了，只想赶快找来安迪沃霍的鞋子看看。后来，又有朋友来家玩，看到墙上的画，有石头，也有鞋子。有的喜欢石头，有的喜欢鞋子。其中一个胖子说，安迪沃霍画鞋子的年代，正在给时尚杂志画插图，他问他的老师，什么时候我才算真正开始做艺术啊？他老师说：「你现在画的这些就是艺术啊！」

　　不管石头、鞋子、衣服、身体、山水……我一直在画别人画过的东西。起初，我以为这都是自己独一无二的发现，后来却不断看到或得知：这些素材都有人做过了。但每当我看到那些别人的作品，又发现，别人是别人，我是我自己。

　　从此我不在乎「别人」，只愿沉溺在自己的热情里，直到热情慢慢消退，又找到新的诱惑、新的开始。艺术不是发明，也无所谓独创，每件作品显得独一无二，是因为他发自真挚的心，人心多么不同，同样的题材，谁来画，那才顶重要。

　　中国人画了上千年山水画，但每当我兴致勃勃画山水时，完全忘了古人。我心仪的不是古代山水的精神符码，也不是某家某派的笔墨美学，总之，使我迷恋的不仅是经典山水的那幅画，而是作为物质的整个册页、卷轴，在我眼里，在我手里，册页、卷轴本身除了文化气息和历史的魅力，更如同一件件精美的小型装置，吸引我亲手一笔笔画出它们的每一部分，包括繁复的锦缎图案；在题跋部分，我密密麻麻抄录当下读到的有趣的文字─往往是西方文人的书信、日记或诗─然后折叠或卷起，给它们配上不同的缎带，装进定制的木盒，提取一个个自认为好玩的题目：就像给我不认识的哪位有缘人写好一封长信。

　　安迪沃霍要是看到我画的鞋子，会怎样呢？他一定不在乎我做了他做过的事，这该多好玩啊！不同的时空，不同的人，不同的心思，改变同一素材，彼此相望相遇，相互启示。

2012年4月30日写于北京　　

Artist Statement

　　In the summer of 2002, I was feverishly painting shoes. One dazzlingly sunny afternoon, I ran into Li Songsong at the Tianjiehu intersection. I immediately took out pictures of my painting from my backpack for him to view. As he leafed through them, he said, "You know, Andy Warhol also painted a lot of shoes.""Really?"' This was a bolt from the blue; I rushed home, not really remembering what he had said to me, but I wanted to find Andy Warhol's shoes, they were illustrations for fashion magazine. He asked his teacher when he could really start making art, and his teacher said, "Your paintings are art!"

　　Whether stones, shoes, clothing, bodies, or landscapes I have always painted things that other people before me have painted. Originally, I thought that these were unique discoveries, and later I saw or learned that these materials had been painted before. When I saw others' artworks, I discovered that other people are other people, and I am me.

　　As a result, I ceased to care about other people and immersed myself in my passion slowly subsided. Then I found a new fascination and new beginning. Art is not invention, and nothing is an original creation. Every work appears utterly unique because it comes from the artist's sincere heart, and everyone's heart is different. Thus, even though the theme is the same, knowing who painted it is extremely important.

　　Chinese people have painted landscape for more than one thousand years, but when I was captivated with painting landscapes, I completely forgot the ancients. I did not admire the spiritual code of ancient landscapes or the inky aesthetics of certain schools. I was enamored with both classic landscape painting and albums and scrolls as objects. In addition to the cultural and historical charms of albums and scrolls, they are more like elegant little installations in my eyes.They entice me to decorate every part of them by myself, including replicating complicated brocade patterns. At the beginning and end, I copied dense and interesting texts, often the letters, diaries, or poetry of Western writers. Then, I fold or roll these pieces, carefully wrapping them with silk ribbon and encasing them in custom wooden boxes. I then select a playful title, as if I am sending a long letter written to some preordained person I do not know.

　　How would Andy Warhol see the shoes I have painted? He certainly would not care that I am doing what he had done, but it would be fun! Different times, places, people, and ideas change that same theme. They see and meet each other, inspiring each other at the same time.

April 30, 2012, Beijing