Gemini

Author: Deng Yu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: A Woman and Her Two Dreams (Preface by Jiang Kun)
Everyone loves my xiangsheng, but my nature is actually fond of children. Many people know from TV that I have a daughter named Jiang Shan and have adopted a disabled child from an orphanage—my son Jiang He. Friends who enjoy lively gatherings also understand how much trouble my wife and I have had over this "son." I don’t know why, but whenever I see children, I feel a surge of energy. I love their innocence and the passion they have for anything new. Sometimes, I even imagine diving into their hearts to explore the sense of "purity" in their personalities. Finally, I found an artist who has already entered children’s hearts and conveyed the "pure" emotions she experienced through her paintings to the world—her name is Deng Yu.
A few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2002, a friend invited me to the Chunqin Palace on the northern bank of Houhai to plan a Mid-Autumn Gala. As I entered the ancient courtyard, I unexpectedly met Deng Yu. She was discussing revisions to her comic book with a friend. After meeting Deng Yu, I learned about a special story—about a woman who had a pair of adorable twins and also drew a pair of funny "twins." The story begins with mountains and unfolds in the plains. Deng Yu’s youth was spent in Guiyang, a mountain city in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. She attended primary, middle, and high school there, worked there, and there, she learned and fell in love with the art of painting. After China’s reform and opening up, she and her husband moved to Hainan Special Economic Zone to work. On that hot land, her greatest was not money but her two very adorable twins.
Having twins had been a long-standing dream for her! She said she felt that one child was too lonely. That’s quite an interesting thing to say. During her second prenatal checkup, she eagerly asked, "Is it twins?" The doctor said no. During her third checkup, she still wasn’t giving up and asked the same question. The answer still disappointed her, but she had to believe the doctor. Unexpectedly, during her fifth month of pregnancy, when she had an ultrasound, the doctor exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, there’s another head!" That shocked her, and she thought she might be carrying a monster! But in the end, it was a blessing in disguise—she really was carrying twins!
The saying "may all your wishes come true" is just a lucky phrase, but for her, it was real! Since having children, Deng Yu’s life has shifted. She, who loved watching TV dramas, became a fan of parenting shows and cartoons; her love for pop music turned into a love for children’s rhymes, lullabies, or nursery songs. Her two little ones are lively, mischievous, but also very "creative." One day, the children and their father were playing a horse-riding game at home. Their father lay on the floor playing the "horse," and the two children sat back-to-back—one on the front, one on the back. Both excitedly shouted, "Giddy-up! Go forward!" But how could they go forward? How could they run fast? The two children were facing opposite directions, leaving the "horse" in a dilemma. To satisfy both, the "horse" had to split at the navel—heads to the west, legs crawling to the east! Watching this hilarious scene, Deng Yu picked up her brush and painted it. It turned out to be such a great comic, the children pasted it on the wall and laughed. Seeing them so happy, Deng Yu couldn’t help but smile. In that moment, she felt as if all the hardships of raising children had vanished.
This experience inspired her deeply. She thought, "If adults could often stand in children’s shoes and observe the world through their perspective, the world would be incredibly interesting. The world of twins would be even more so. If she could use her brush to portray it, she could create comics that brought her joy and others laughter." So, she resolved to draw for herself, for her children, and for all those who cared about and loved twins. She didn’t just have a pair of twins; she would also draw a pair of "twins" and tell their stories one by one!
When spring arrived in the new century, Deng Yu’s life took another leap—her family moved from the southern coast to Beijing. In this ancient capital, rich in culture, her dream finally turned into action. She organized the funny stories from raising her children and paid closer attention to the little ones’ every move. She observed,, and created endlessly, her inspiration flowing, her imagination growing richer. When she picked up her brush to depict her feelings, she was surprised at how smoothly her strokes were. After six hundred and more days of effort, she completed two comic books in one go—Twin Stars and Rock, Paper, Scissors.
If meeting someone is fate, then agreeing to write a preface for Deng Yu’s comics must be following that fate. Of course, what moved me more was her story and the vivid, entertaining scenes before me. This is an image of a mother observing the world through her child’s eyes, a painting drawn with true feelings and love. I was deeply moved by the sense of "purity" in children’s hearts. I’m not a cartoonist, but I share much with them—our creations aim to bring humor and joy. Therefore, I say I truly appreciate comics, especially good ones. Deng Yu, on behalf of all who love children, I salute you!
June 1, 2003, in Beijing