「Look at the Picture and Talk about the Painting」Liu Zheng: Let the Christmas Mural Coexist with the Oriental Charm

Amidst the Christmas bells, the church frescoes from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance still flow, depicting the classic narrative of the Three Kings’ Adoration, with the gold-foil-trimmed robes capturing the solemnity of faith; while on the walls of ancient Eastern temples, the eyebrows and eyes of the immortal maidens in Yongle Palace are hidden in ink and wash, with every flowing line embodying the grandeur and vicissitudes of a thousand years. Although separated by mountains and seas, both use art to freeze the imprints of their respective eras.

Medieval Christmas-themed murals were mostly presented in mosaics. During the Renaissance, frescoes carried on this tradition, achieving a timeless texture through rigorous processes. Liu Zheng, following this pursuit of the permanence of craftsmanship, spent six years mastering the ancient Western fresco technique and then combined it with Eastern heritage, bringing the treasures of the past back to daily life. Thus, the faith passed down through Christmas murals and the profound and ancient atmosphere of the East met in the everyday space.

The essence of inheritance is to enable the spirits of different times and spaces to see each other. From the faith conveyed in the Christmas murals to the collision of ancient and modern art in Liu Zheng’s works, true craftsmanship is not about rigid connection, but about allowing different civilizations to nourish each other, resonate and coexist.

The tea for today is all gone. Next time, I’ll brew a fresh pot and enjoy art with you again.