Cheng Wu on the Situation for Classical Figurative Painting in China, Li Cheng and Daoism

Watch Jan-Ove Tuv's conversation with the Chinese portrait painter Cheng Wu. Wu talks about his experience of coming to Europe and being told at a French art academy that his work was too traditional. He also touches on the extraordinary situation for classical figurative painting in China, as well as Li Cheng and the golden age of Chinese painting in the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD). Wu argues for an eternal mindset and Daoism — through the teachings of Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi — as a philosophic solution for painters. This episode was produced by Bork S. Nerdrum, assisted by Sebastian Salvo and Nic Thurman.