Dai Dунбэн's newly drawn album pages: Friends of Animals

Author: Dai Dunbang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Unlike the grand "epic masterpieces" of Dai Dunbang, such as Dream of the Red Chamber and Water Margin, which are renowned for their character paintings, this book is on a smaller scale. However, under Dai Dunbang's brush, every vivid image and every moving story reflects his love for life and reverence for nature. At the same time, this is one of his thematic sketch collections that is closest to real life. The "Animal Friends" section is entirely composed of paintings (atmospheric and evocative illustrations) inspired by the treasure trove of Chinese literature. Mr. Dai, who is both an artist and a scholar, has carefully selected ancient Chinese poetry and paired it with new paintings and annotations. The book features works by renowned masters such as Bai Juyi's Birds, Du Mu's Remote Letters, Zhang Ji's Pastoral Poem, Su Shi's Against Killing, Ouyang Xiu's Painting Magpie, Lu You's To a Cat, and more. It is not difficult to find well-known "protective of life" quotes such as "Do not shoot the birds on the branches, for their young ones are waiting for their mother's return," "Do not shoot the southbound wild geese, for they may carry letters to distant loved ones," and "Different people have different feelings for fish; I come to feed them, and you cast your hook." It is precisely these ancient ideas of protecting animals that have awakened the "protective of life" spirit of this "folk artist." Under Dai Dunbang's brush, from large animals like oxen, horses, apes, and dogs to small ones like chickens, ducks, pigeons, and fish, as well as swallows, bats, and bees, all creatures in the world are imbued with life and emotion. Moreover, the artist captures the fleeting "eye contact" between animals and humans, their subtle relationships and conflicts, vividly on paper, stirring the heart. The short introductory texts for each poetic illustration demonstrate the artist's courage to face life directly. These "postscript-like" reflections on his own creations reinforce the "protective of life" theme while adding a new layer of "protecting the human living environment." Yet, they do not hinder the reader's own understanding and imagination.