Star Dong Hao
At the end of 2016, the population of mainland China alone was 1,382,494,824 inhabitants. And all these people, from small to large, plus a large diaspora, know and selflessly love one person – Dong Hao (Chinese: 浩; pinyin: Dǒng Hào). We in our West would compare Mr. Hao with the “Titan of the Renaissance,” so many talents he has alone, and so vividly they appear. But the “dao” of Dong is, nevertheless, purely Chinese: even his biography itself, it seems, can serve as an illustration of the cultural canon of Celestial.
Dong Hao is an unusually successful official. In the old days, which is so revered in China, he most certainly would have been one of the closest advisers to the emperor. Here is just one list of his achievements in the public sphere: the head of the Central Television of China (1977), the chairman of the Association for the Development of Culture Abroad, the im. Soong Ching Ling and the Youth Development Foundation. And also – a representative of the Chinese Association of Artists and vice-president of CCTV in the field of painting and calligraphy. (CCTV is the central Chinese television, which includes both “internal” leading television channels and broadcasting).
Even Confucius himself served as an official. But the real darling of not even millions – billions, Dong Hao, known to his compatriots nicknamed Uncle Dong Hao (Chinese: 董浩叔 叔; pinyin: Dǒng Hào Shūshū), became thanks to his artistic talents. He is one of the most famous radio and TV presenters in China. If we resort to analogy, Hao, who for the last 40 years has been leading the most popular children’s TV show in China, is at the same time modern Chinese “grandfather Panas” and “Aunt Valya”. Plus, he is also an actor, director, etc. It is not surprising that the usually restrained Chinese of all ages, gathered on August 16 at the Museum of History of Kiev at the opening of the personal exhibition of Dong Hao the artist, did not hide their enthusiasm, having the opportunity to talk and get an autograph.
Practically according to the canon (the footnote is “almost” done for the simple reason that Mr. Dong did not finish his media career, as well as his directorial and acting career), having already retired — that is, retired — the superstar of the PRC is much He began to devote more time to another of his vocations. Painting and calligraphy. He was born in Beijing in 1956, spent his childhood in the ancestral home in Fengrun Village, Tangshan City. The father of the young Hao was Dong Qinshan (董 静 山), the famous Chinese calligrapher. When the boy was only 4 years old, he died of myocardial infarction. (The idol of all Chinese Confucius was orphaned in a year and a half). Dong Xi Wen, another famous Chinese artist, became the master calligraphy teacher. Today, speaking about the reasons for his passion for painting, Mr. Dong remembers his father every time. He says that, first of all, it was thanks to him that he became an artist. And he adds: art brings love and kindness to the world, pacifies. And just for the sake of this, to improve the world a little, they should be engaged.
In the capital of Ukraine, Mr. Hao Hao is the second time. For the first time in Kiev, he visited in May 2016, as a participant in the collective exhibition “Nevyanucha glory. Shana Tarasoviy Shevchenko ”at the National Museum of Taras Shevchenko. Then, under the impression of our country, he even created the picture “Shevchenko’s Native House”. His current exhibition at the Museum of the History of Kiev – our first personal exhibition, opened for the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the PRC. The exhibition consists of 24 works (oh, this Chinese love for binary, even numbers!). All – Dated 2017 Most of the paintings are devoted to traditional Chinese opera.
Unlike many superstars, who became famous in their fields, and painting is considered just a hobby (remember Sir Paul McCartney, for example), the “uncle” Dong Hao is really an extraordinary, surprisingly talented master. His painting perfectly organically combines the traditions of classical Chinese gunbi – and European traditions, closer to impressionism. However, with his sense of color, the artist resembles, rather, Kandinsky. Subtle drawing of details is combined in works with soft semi-blurry tones, watercolor lightness. And the plots of Mr. Hao’s paintings turn out to be “speaking” for those who are familiar with Chinese culture – or, at least, can read Chinese. For example, one of the central works from the Opera Characters series, against which the exhibition project was presented, illustrates the old Chinese proverb: “A good wife is always behind a successful man.”
Bearing in mind that Mr. Dong Hao is one of the leading “cultural” officials in China, JAG asked him about the Chinese situation with the “survival” of artists. From a comparison of the Chinese Association of Artists with the Ukrainian National Union of Artists, the guest of Kiev diplomatically declined.
“A good artist is a successful one, that is, a famous and rich artist. After all, people buy his works! True, my teacher, Dong Si Wen, in his youth, at the very beginning of his career.
