Liu Yong (writer)


Liu Yong is a writer, painter, and educator. He is also the founder of Shui Yun Zhai Cultural Enterprises and a philanthropist who has built over 40 schools in rural China.
Having written over 100 books that range from non-fiction essays to novels, Liu is a best-selling author in Mainland China and Taiwan. His books have been translated into English, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai. Liu has toured Mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore to speak on educational topics before audiences of thousands. A chapter from one of Liu's many self-help books for adolescents is included as a potential reading-aloud test topic on the Putonghua Proficiency Test.
Liu has held over 30 solo exhibitions, and his paintings have been collected by museums across Asia and Europe. Sotheby’s, which regularly auctions his works, describes his unique style as the combination of utilizing ancient techniques, developing a contemporary manner, and contemplating philosophical thoughts. He commonly uses fine lines and delicate yet powerful brushstrokes to depict landscapes, birds, and flowers. Art critics have especially praised his “boneless” style as one of the highest achievements in Chinese fine arts history.

Early Life and Career

Liu Yong was born and raised in Taipei. His father passed away when he was 9, and his house was destroyed in a fire when he was 13. He graduated from Cheng Kung Senior High School, obtained a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from National Taiwan Normal University, obtained a Master's degree in East Asian Studies from St. John's University, and pursued a Doctorate degree in Art Education from Columbia University.
Liu won first place in the fine arts department exhibition at National Taiwan Normal University, and became an art teacher at Cheng Kung Senior High School upon graduation in 1972. He was invited to participate in the Asia Contemporary Art Exhibition at age 23 and the National Art Exhibition at age 25.
From November 30, 1971 to April 5, 1974, Liu hosted the prime-time China Television quiz show "Seconds Count Down.". From 1973 to 1977, he worked as a reporter and producer for China Television in Taipei. In 1978, he represented China Television in the U.S. and became artist-in-residence at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History in Virginia. In 1980, he became artist-in-residence at St. John's University. In 1991, Taiwan’s public television station commissioned Liu to produce the documentary series, “The Spirit of Chinese Culture.” At the same time, he founded Shui Yun Zhai Cultural Enterprises in Taipei, which he continues to manage, in addition to working as a professional writer and artist.

Family

Liu was an apprentice of Huang Jun-Bi and Lin Yushan, Taiwan’s masters of landscape, bird, and flower painting. He also solidified his technique by imitating classical masterpieces in the National Palace Museum. Such a foundation--in combination with education in Western painting from studying in the U.S., clear sketching technique, and background in literature--has led to the development of his extraordinary style.
Liu’s landscape paintings have been described as “Dreamscape” by American media for their three-dimensional fantastical quality. The style merges his self-invented technique of spraying ink onto wrinkled paper collages, the boneless strokes of bird and flower painting, innovative texture strokes inspired by old Chinese masters, and sometimes his own form of Pointillism inspired by Impressionism.
Liu’s bird and flower paintings not only present the subjects with scientific accuracy, but the artist even seems to paint his own soul into the subjects. Liu hopes that viewers can “live, play, and listen” in his paintings because every work has a story, just like in literature. Liu’s painting and writing are very much interconnected, and critics often praise his art for embodying the essence of poetry.
Liu has become one of the few living Chinese painters to be included in Sotheby’s and Christie’s auctions in Hong Kong, Beijing, and New York. Numerous books have been published about his artwork, theory, and techniques. Notably, People's Fine Arts Publishing House published a book on Liu Yong in their prestigious “Chinese Contemporary Famous Artists” series.

Selected Solo Exhibitions