Dried-up

                                                                                                                                                                            Gu Zhenqing

   “Himono” is a popular Japanese word, which has the same meaning as “dried-up food” in Chinese. It originally refers to food undergonea drying process, such as dried fish, dried scallop and dried fruit. In the internet world, Himono-onna or “Dried-up Man” refers to those who give up love, social intercourse, consider many things troublesome and live his/her life casually. It reflects a living status in which people are like dried things. In a globalized realistic society where desire and mysterious truth overflow, Liu Rentao has no desire at all and his heart resemblesa dried well. In his eyes, figures often have sorrowful and worn-out looks, and things often have no moisture content. In his paintings, figures and things constantly change in appearance. The vivid personalities of the figures and things seem to be taken away and generalized incessantly, emphasizing a living experience that is utterly helpless. Liu Rentao’s paintings always make people comprehend a conscious pain beyond description. He gains s sharpness of spiritual criticism through the free exploiting of daily visual experiences. In his paintings, there is no macroscopic narration or agitational theme, but details, plainness and trueness that people are hard to notice and remember in daily life. These ignored truths are the scars inscribed in “Himono” by sunlight, time and the violence of man. When Liu Rentao touches these scars, his heart is peaceful and quiet, just like still water.