Li Dongyuan has so many identities that we could hardly hide our surprise and joy for the first time we saw his paintings. As he says, ’20 years of renovation; 20 years of painting’. However, those who have a full-time job of renovation or painting know that how divisive if doing the two things at the same time. Therefore, the way Li Dongyuan paints is rarely seen.

Li Dongyuan tells us the reason in his notebook: ’1. Be active in participating, experiencing and reflecting life. Economic development changes living space and life style. Traditional social value system tends to fall apart. Observe closely and try to express feelings by my own languages. A. Social problems, national political system, human rights and gender; B. Daily life and experience; 2. Explore traditional factors. Re-explain them with expressions of our time. Look for independent and unique expression and art language.’

Obviously, as a middle-aged man serving the society with visual expressions, Li Dongyuan has very strong self-consciousness which decides the content and subject of his paintings. They are mainly about observation of people and experience of space. Certainly, a deeper pursuit is direct and clear: the painter wants to plant a definite self-consciousness into descriptions of others. As he says, ’paint for relief, paint myself and my life. Experience myself. Understand myself in the way that fits myself most. Communicate with people sharing the same individual living style and language.’ We shall pay more deliberate respect and understanding for those artists who paint alone for a long period and never ask for outside feedback. We may come closer to painters’ mind when facing the works. Similarly, Li Dongyuan’s notebook provides some key words: emptiness, decadence, optimism, and enthusiasm. Following these opposite but connected words, we may know the painter’s attitude toward life.

The attitude comes from the painter’s emotions for human being and objects. Love and compliment are not meant to be superior and do not stay on the level of harmony and beauty. This is the real and sincere portrayal brought by genuine observation and experience. ’Portrait’ shares the same trueness in Edvard Munch’s ’The Scream’. Although both refusing to face only joy, Li Dongyuan is unwilling to seek for the same strong visual effect as Munch did. Hence, I describe Li Dongyuan as a "happy" expressionist. He guides us to exceed beauty and elegance, to see the truth of life with no exaggerated pain and stimulation.

’Boss Chair’, ’Biker’ and ’Paint Bucket’ all make people obsessed for real life. ’Birdcage’ surely has a deeper metaphor aiming at everyone’s living conditions nowadays. What Li Dongyuan’s painting always pursuits is "the focus on those closely related with myself, It is actually the relationship between life and society. Use special languages to raise and solve special problems.  Only unique observation and independent thinking can prove self-existence in society . The true art exists in daily life..."

As the most accustomed material in his painting, Li Dongyuan’s gouache maintains rare clearness and transparence, which relates to the way Li Dongyuan controls water and emotion. Specific characteristics of portrait and orientation of figures are no longer important. What matters is everyone’s real situation behind the images, releasing sigh, helplessness, hesitation and devotion when facing life, which is specific, subtle and non-symbolic.

While experiencing the powerlessness and helplessness of life, expectation and obsession comes alive. In this case, the ’happy’ expressionist makes sense.

Translation: Fan Chen