Arario Gallery Cheonan is delightful to open a solo exhibition by Li Fan, 'Homage to Life,' featuring 108 paintings Li Fan completed in Paris, New York, Jeju and Beijing for past 10 years since 2000. People in his works take a very dramatic and exaggerated pose, but  in format, they are expressed in traditional Chinese technique, such as emphasized beauty of line and margin or distributed ink on canvas. Unprecedented large scale, erotic and playful expressions are contrary to a theme's seriousness. As showing conceptual topics like personal emotion and social taboo though others' and his lives, his unique way of thinking is revealed. 

Especially, 'Above the Clouds' series was created in Paris and New York in 2000 and 2005 respectively, and the series freely embodies an images of people in a new city from a view of the third person. Dozens of drawings he worked in New York are arranged with his texts which show the artist's consideration to human and life. 

I try to treat surroundings with a light heart.
Less heavy, less pain, but more natural, and more sincerely.
I look at the inside of my mind like stealing a glance.
Listening to my heart undetected by others is more natural.
- Li Fan  

Li Fan is already praised for modernized traditional ink painting based on contemporary people's life. Large-scale oil painting shows consistent changes technically as well as his ink painting obtains diversity of material. However, despite of various medium, Li Fan's artworks start from affection for the life he basically has. He focuses on own life, and never gives up a belief on human so that his humanity and affection become a basis of his work. 

*image (left)
© Li Fan
courtesy of the artist and Arario Gallery