Don't look at my face

Author: Xiong Zhengliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Looking at Xiong Zhengliang's novels, one can see his narrative ability and artistic level, reaching a high point among his contemporaries. His handling of themes, his grasp of structure, and his penetrating portrayal of human nature and fate all demonstrate Xiong Zhengliang's extraordinary talent. — Chen Xiaoming
I have never seen another Chinese writer use such oil-painting-like brushstrokes and perspectives to depict our world. In this regard, he is very similar to Claude Simon, but this is due to his innate gift—not because he imitated Claude Simon. This kind of novel born from "the eye" and its visual narration is a product of pure personal experience, making it almost impossible to find a similar one. — Li Jiefei
Xiong Zhengliang straightforwardly and solemnly explores the fundamental values of human life in his novels, a persistent spiritual direction. It seems he is calling on us to bravely face our hearts, our blood, and our bones. — Li Jingze
I felt a bit embarrassed by what she said and explained that it was just a professional habit. One day, I casually sketched her silhouette on a canvas with a small brush. She was delighted and said, "Wow, are you drawing me?" In reality, I had only sketched a few lines, but they roughly captured her likeness. She asked me to draw her properly. Like a joke, I sketched her again with a small brush and watercolor, and she was very pleased, saying it was even better than her studio portrait. That way, naturally, she became my friend and model. At that time, I didn’t know she had a fiancé, and I never thought about it.
Once, while flipping through a painting book at my place, she came across the nudes and said they were truly beautiful. Then she looked at me with a flickering gaze and said, "You won’t draw me like that, will you?" I didn’t answer either way. To be honest, I wanted to draw her. After all, depicting figures was my main subject, and I had never encountered someone with such a perfect, well-proportioned body. Not drawing her would have been a real waste.