The story of Little Red Riding Hood

Author: Lü Shengzhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: ★24K hardcover binding, published by Shanghai Literature and Art Press ★Created by renowned artist Lü Shengzhong ★Awarded the National Book Design Gold Medal, designed by the artist Quan Zi ★Includes Lü Shengzhong's paper-cutting works of the "Summoning Little Red People" series from 1985 to 2002 ★"The Summoning Little Red People" has become a classic symbol of contemporary cultural language
Lü Shengzhong was born on January 4, 1952, in Dayujisi Village, Pingdu, Shandong. Both of his parents were farmers. Before his birth, he already had two older brothers and four older sisters, making him the youngest child in the Lü family. In the 1950s, China had not yet implemented the family planning policy, and many rural families hoped to have more sons because boys would become the main labor force of the family and the inheritors of the family lineage. Fortunately, Lü Shengzhong was a boy, and his father kept him.
Lü Shengzhong never imagined pursuing a career in art during his youth. In his middle school years, he was determined to become a writer and novelist. However, everything changed in 1969 when he turned 17. That year, he was drafted into the army and assigned to the film unit. Although reluctant, he had to obey the orders. Like a boat floating on a river, he had no choice but to go with the flow.
In the film unit, Lü Shengzhong still showed his artistic talent and began creating art as a hobby. He never imagined that art would become his future profession. In the winter of 1974, he achieved his first creative success. Creating slide projections not only changed Lü Shengzhong's childhood aspirations but also influenced his future path.
After being discharged from the army in 1976, Lü Shengzhong was recommended to study at a Worker-Peasant-Soldier University, primarily because of his skill in creating slide projections. He was admitted to the Fine Arts Department of Shandong Normal University.
Starting in 1985, the "Little Red People" gradually became the fundamental language of Lü Shengzhong's artistic creation. In 1984, he entered the Graduate Program in New Year Pictures and (Illustrated Series) at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, but he initially did not consider using paper-cutting for his work. It was only during his graduation project in 1987, titled "Life. Moment. Eternity," that this idea began to take shape. At the age of 35, he was not fully aware of it at the time, but after completing the work, he felt it was like revisiting traditional Chinese culture. His understanding deepened, and he later discovered that many ethnic groups and regions across the world had similar customs of creating human-shaped figures in their primal cultures. He realized that these figures were symbols of life, not representing specific individuals but rather self-portraits of early humans. Moreover, they all shared a common symbol—a pair of open hands, facing forward and symmetrical. This design was not just part of traditional Chinese culture but a universal human form. Lü Shengzhong found this particularly fascinating, and during his research, he also developed an interest in paper-cutting. That's why he started creating paper-cutting figures in 1985, and he never stopped.
By the 1990s, he began to engage in the activity of creating paper-cutting figures.
On February 17, 2003, Lü Shengzhong received a notice asking him to prepare a proposal for his work to participate in the 2003 Venice Biennale, with the theme "Dreams and Conflicts."
Starting April 20, many restaurants in Beijing closed one after another, and bookstores and flea markets were also shut down. Lü Shengzhong had to suspend his work on "Shanshui Shufang" (Mountain and Water Study).
On May 12, someone sent him an invitation via the internet. Due to the SARS outbreak, Beijing had become an epidemic zone. Over 30 countries had restricted Chinese entry, and it was uncertain whether Chinese artists could attend the Venice Biennale.
On April 30, Lü Shengzhong suggested to Chinese curators that if affected by SARS, they should strive to host a Chinese pavilion for the Venice Biennale in Beijing. The Chinese side has submitted this request to the international organizing committee, and it has been approved by the chief curator of the Venice Biennale. Now, the Guangzhou Art Museum is responsible for setting up the exhibition, with the opening planned for July 15.
Lü Shengzhong has once again begun working on "Shanshui Shufang," but currently, it is the "post-SARS" era. He needs 6,000 books, and as of now, he has not yet secured them.