Cao Li

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world. Consistent themes in Cao Li’s paintings are the horse, birds, musicians, and the nude figure; the horse because he was born in the Year of the Horse, birds because they represent absolute freedom, musicians because he has been one since childhood, and the nude figure because to him it represents the dream state. “Horses, A Series, #7” emphasizes the angularity of the horses bodies while drawing upon a unique Chinese device practiced in traditional brush painting that allows the viewer to see the subject from a multi-level perspective. The fluidity of the brush strokes adds yet another reference to traditional ‘guohua’ (brush) painting.

“Opened Notebook” is autobiographical and includes both real world and dream world experiences. It reflects the artist’s development on many levels and utilizes all of his themes; the horse because Cao Li was born in the Year of the Horse, birds because they represent absolute freedom, musicians because he has been one since childhood, and the nude figure because to him it represents the dream state. It is painted with a limited palette of greys and browns. The contrast of a central, horizontally floating figure becomes the focal point of the piece.

Cao Li has said, “This painting represents a celebration of the China I knew, but is changing. At a typical Chinese funeral, the last song that is sung or played is always the best song. It celebrates the life of the deceased and brings happy memories.” It contains Cao Li’s recurring themes; the horse, birds, musicians, and the nude figure.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world. Consistent themes in Cao Li’s paintings are the horse, birds, musicians, and the nude figure; the horse because he was born in the year of the horse, birds because they represent absolute freedom, musicians because he has been one since childhood, and the nude figure because to him it represents the dream state.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world. Consistent themes in Cao Li’s paintings are the horse, birds, musicians, and the nude figure; the horse because he was born in the year of the horse, birds because they represent absolute freedom, musicians because he has been one since childhood, and the nude figure because to him it represents the dream state.

Cao Li has always been drawn to the horse as a subject for his art in various mediums. He says it is in part because he was born in the year of the horse, but also because he likes interpreting the muscular figure of the animal. In Stereoscopic Horse, painted in 2002, Cao Li has utilized what Westerners might define as a Cubist style, yet this multi-view perspective is something Chinese artists have used for centuries in traditional brush painting. Cao Li has simply updated it, contrasting not only color and value, but texture and detail. The artist says he has no literal translation for the title, however, a viewer might assume that if one were to look at a picture of this horse through a stereoscope, the image would be three dimensional.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world. Consistent themes in Cao Li’s paintings are the horse, birds, musicians, and the nude figure; the horse because he was born in the year of the horse, birds because they represent absolute freedom, musicians because he has been one since childhood, and the nude figure because to him it represents the dream state.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world. Consistent themes in Cao Li’s paintings are the horse, birds, musicians, and the nude figure; the horse because he was born in the year of the horse, birds because they represent absolute freedom, musicians because he has been one since childhood, and the nude figure because to him it represents the dream state.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world.

Cao Li says that his paintings, like poetry, are combinations of imagination and reality and that sometimes he feels as if he lives in a dream world that he inhabits in his waking hours, his paintings being a reflection of that world.