Solitary figure wandering alone: Century Elder Liao Bingxiong (Private Album Collection of Century Elders)

Author: Zhang Hongmiao, Liao Ling'er (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Liao Bingxiong was born in a time of profound hardship. From a young age, he knew that life was threatened by two major dangers—hunger and national subjugation. External worries and internal troubles burdened him with the heavy responsibilities of his country and nation. From his youth, he devoted himself entirely to politics and society, using his brush to criticize darkness and ugliness, and to call for light and beauty. He was deeply connected with the history of the Chinese nation for nearly a century. Thus, his life carried the vicissitudes of China's nearly one hundred years. Opening the old man's photo album is like opening a collection of historical photographs—each picture tells the story of the changing times. However, his childhood and youth were too poor for him to take a single photograph, not even a group photo with his biological parents. It was only in his later years that he returned to the place where he had lived as a child to leave behind a mark. In his later years, he became a "celebrity." Strangers and acquaintances gathered around him, all wanting to take a photo with him. He became the "background" for everyone, with journalists from various media following him, and flashlights flickering at every occasion. Eventually, stacks of photos were delivered to him. He said, "There are so many photos that there's no more space to store them."