Mythical Chen Yifei

Author: Jiang Zuowen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Chen Yifei is an important figure in the history of Chinese oil painting in the 20th century, worthy of being recorded. Not only did his oil paintings set the highest transaction record for Chinese oil paintings to date, but his films and fashion also offered unique and fresh visual experiences. Through this book, Chen Yifei's friends present their own perspectives on Chen Yifei, creating an impressionistic portrait of Chen Yifei in different colors, strokes, and multiple angles. Chen Yifei, undoubtedly, is an important figure in the history of Chinese oil painting in the 20th century. To exaggerate slightly, Chen Yifei's achievements and success are a myth. In recent years, Chen Yifei and his paintings have caused waves and even storms in the Asian art world and Chinese society, repeatedly setting new highs in the art market: In 1991, The Echoes of Xunyang was sold for HKD 1.375 million at Christie's Hong Kong, setting a record for Chinese oil paintings exceeding HKD 1 million. In 1994, Wind in the Mountains (Tibetan Theme) was sold for RMB 2.86 million at the China International Auction House. In 1997, Poppy was sold for HKD 3.87 million at Christie's Hong Kong, creating the highest transaction record for Chinese oil paintings to date. The most authoritative modern art institution in the world, MaBoLo Gallery, signed a 3-year contract with Chen Yifei in 1996 and renewed it for another 3 years last year. Only about 20 world-class painters have been fortunate enough to sign contracts with the gallery, making Chen Yifei the first Asian artist represented by them. From 1991 to 1997, in the 18 oil painting auctions held by auction houses such as Christie's Hong Kong, Sotheby's, and China, Chen Yifei ranked in the top 10 13 times, winning first place 10 times. Critic Zhu Haoyun believes that "these achievements are enough to make all Chinese oil painters look up to him in awe." Such a judgment may be extreme, but it reflects an undeniable fact. In fact, the shock Chen Yifei caused in the art world is far more profound and lasting than the numbers mentioned above, indicating that the Chen Yifei phenomenon has become an unavoidable topic. In his early years, his courage and breakthroughs in revolutionary history themes laid an excellent foundation for young artists just starting out. After going abroad in 1980, he experienced a period of quiet, but his return was marked by the rise of his Western-style women series, classical beauty series, Jiangnan water towns series, and Tibetan-themed series. To be fair, breaking through in one subject is already a great fortune, but to repeatedly break through in such a wide range of fields and achieve repeated victories is truly rare. The undeniable international influence Chen Yifei brought is a highly valuable topic in the context of Chinese oil painting reaching the world. At the same time, Chen Yifei suddenly declared his entry into the film industry. In 1993, he directed the film Dreams of the Past on the Sea; in 1995, he released Meeting at Dusk and entered the Cannes Film Festival; and subsequently, Fleeing Shanghai wrapped up filming and entered post-production. A famous painter entering the film industry itself is news, but the painter's perspective in terms of subject selection, narrative, composition, lighting, color, and editing, along with its unique effects, provided filmmakers with constant inspiration. Starting in 1997, Chen Yifei began his "ballet of the Peacock Feather Dance." He successively founded two fashion companies and launched two personal brands, "Layefe" (Yifei) and "San Yi." As new clothing that blends classical and modern beauty began to take off in Shanghai, Chen Yifei also became a Chinese artist who scaled the use of personal intangible assets and made a mark in the fashion consumer market. Although Chen Yifei's exploration in environmental art has not yet created a sensation, it has genuinely added a touch of humanity, closeness to nature, and responsiveness to the times to the design of Shanghai, an international metropolis, especially in the Central Green Zone of Pudong and the renovation of Changshu Road. With his desire for beauty and genius, Chen Yifei has repeatedly perfected, interpreted, and extended the concept of "big art" in fields as broad as painting, film, fashion design, environmental art, and model management. His support comes not only from his religious devotion to beauty but also, like all successful artists, from his all-consuming passion and dedication. At the end of the 20th century, the era was already one where the gods had fallen, the divine were absent, and myths were devalued. Faced with Chen Yifei's almost mythical artistic miracles, opinions were divided. However, we do not consider this an illusion of the desert mirage; it is not too difficult to find the basic reasons for Chen Yifei's tremendous success:
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Unmatched Foundation
Chen Yifei was born in Zhejiang and grew up in Shanghai, demonstrating a natural talent for painting from a young age. Before turning 20, he graduated from the Shanghai Art College with outstanding results. Rigorous and systematic professional training, combined with his self-driven pursuit of art, laid a solid foundation for him. His travels in the United States and Europe in the 1980s greatly enriched his artistic perspective. He combined technique and art, blending the East and the West, shaping his unique artistic personality and establishing the unique artistic value of his works.
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Courage to Innovate
Chen Yifei can be said to have achieved success at a young age. His outstanding achievements at every stage of his life not only earned admiration from his peers but also drew the attention of the entire art world at the time. In the art world, where talented artists are abundant, achieving such prominence once is already a great feat. However, Chen Yifei never retired to the sidelines, adhering to the philosophy of "giving up what is already in hand to pay for greater future success." He eventually moved from Shanghai to the world, from the studio to a larger stage, and from the flat ground of creation to the highlands of art. The beauty of the extraordinary often lies in the danger and distance; the perseverance and courage to transcend these challenges shine with a captivating human light.
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Rare Opportunities
When Chen Yifei's oil paintings were gradually maturing, the long-dormant Chinese art market was finally activated. The long-awaited enthusiasm for art collection and the strong purchasing power of the buyer's market provided a solid ladder for Chen Yifei to rise in both art and the market, allowing his artistic ideals and commercial value to be realized simultaneously. On the commercial stage, where myths of success are often staged in the market economy, it is a blessing for both the artist and the cultural and artistic world when an artistic myth occasionally unfolds. Myths are enchanting, and both the authors and compilers of myths are ordinary people. Collecting and summarizing all the words about Chen Yifei—old stories, interesting anecdotes, facts, counterpoints, and personal introspections with kind inquiries—long or short, Chinese or Western—attempting to analyze his different faces and influences in a broader artistic discourse space. With a dedicated collection, we aim to conduct an in-depth case study of a contemporary renowned artist, which is undoubtedly meaningful and valuable for comprehensively understanding Chen Yifei and his works, as well as exploring the creation of oil paintings, the laws of the art market, and their interrelationships. For the general readers who are interested in art, such a specialized book can also bring relaxation and spark reading interest. In an increasingly practical era, people seem to be increasingly disdainful of gods and myths, while in ancient Greece, humans were gods.