Chongqing- The painting of "Celebrating Spring Festival" had been selected as a cultural symbol representing the traditional Chinese festival, the Spring Festival, as well as the main visual cultural image of the Winter Olympic Games.
The New Year painting "Celebrating Spring Festival." (Photo provided to iChongqing)
The New Year painting "Celebrating Spring Festival" was created by Li Longyan, a retired teacher from the Academy of Arts of Southwest University in Chongqing.
The painting uses red as its primary color, which is the traditional color used to celebrate the New Year, such as Spring Festival couplets and papercuts. The Chinese people regard red as a symbol of joy, success, loyalty, and justice and believe that red has the function of exorcism and protection. Red adds a festive atmosphere to this painting.
The adorable image of children has absorbed the style of woodcut New Year pictures of Yangliuqing, one of the famous Chinese New Year woodblock prints. The Yangliuqing New Year paintings are characterized by delicate brushwork, beautiful figures, bright colors, and a peaceful atmosphere. The lovely and lively children are its most famous subject matter. In this painting, the children wear festive costumes with traditional patterns and play with different traditional things such as firecrackers, shuttlecock, and traditional kites.
The New Year painting "Nursery Rhymes." (Photo provided to iChongqing)
The painting shows Chinese characteristics and sets off a new trend of Chinese style and respect for traditional culture. It enjoys great popularity and adds a festive, peaceful, and happy atmosphere to the Spring Festival celebration.
To celebrate the upcoming lunar new year and welcome the Beijing Winter Olympics, various forms of advertising and cultural products with the painting of "Celebrating Spring Festival" as the main visual image were made and have appeared in Beijing's important places and main scenic spots. It is also reported that the painting is currently promoted in various forms to major cities across the country.
In addition to "Celebrating Spring Festival," Li has also created a series of New Year paintings and meticulous brushwork works in recent years. Several works won awards in national art exhibitions. All her pieces have maintained her consistent positive, bright, cheerful, and enthusiastic Chinese national style.
The New Year painting "In the First Lunar Month." (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Mei Xuhang, iChongqing intern, contributed to this article.