Friday, Sept. 28, 2012
A Chinese Life (Abrams), by Li Kunwu and Philippe Otie
Chinese dissident artists get all the press in the West, and Li Kunwu
is not among their ranks. Now a Communist Party arts administrator, he grew up
during the hateful Cultural Revolution of the 1960s (his family members were
among the millions of victims) and brings an unusual insider’s view to his
autobiography in the form of a graphic novel. With brush strokes often
suggesting Chinese calligraphy, he moves easily between styles, usually
emphatic black ink on white backgrounds. The artist expresses some dismay at
many developments, but his bottom line, after witnessing warfare, famine and
massive state-sponsored violence, is a “profound desire for order and
stability.” Armchair activists in the West may snicker, but most of them have
had easy lives compared to Li Kunwu.



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