Mr. Zhang was professor of Central Academy of Fine Arts, professor of China Painting and calligraphy correspondence university, member of Chinese Artist Association, art consultant of China poem calligraphy and painting art research, vice president of the three gorges academy, academician of the association of Chinese celebrities research institute of Chinese paintings, honorary president of Academy of painting and calligraphy Palace, previous honorary president of Chinese Association of Niagara, the special art consultant of Brock University Confucius Institute.  

 

In the Chinese painting and calligraphic circle today, one may well say that flowers of all sorts are blooming in a riot of colours. As the capital of a few dynasties, Beijing is a remarkable place producing outstanding people and bright stars. Of them, there is a person with great attainments. He is Mr. Zhang Dichen, a well-know painter, former professor of the Central Arts and Crafts College of China, professor of the Chinese Painting and Calligraph Correspondence University, member of the Chinese Artists Association and artist advisor to the Chinese Institute of Poetry, Painting and Calligraphy.

 

In the second month of spring, I came to Mr. Zhang Dichen’s apartment in Beijing to do an interview. He was enthusiastically accompanied by his wife and daughter. In Mr. Zhang’s living room, spring was in the air and the warm sunshine was coming in through the windows. As far as eyes could reach, paper, ink slab, writing brushes and ink stick and even the air permeated  with a refreshing artistic interest. On the wall of the saloon, there hung an exquisite painting of Mr. Zhang’s, which is entitled “Autumn Sentiments”: in the distant view ridges and peaks rise one after another, and smoke and clouds stretch far into the distance; in the mide-view there is an islet in the lake, boats and huts, and several maple trees in leafy profusion; and the close view is the calm lake water. The sentimental tone of the whole picture is strong and harmonious, and a landscape of mountains and lakes forms a delightful contrast. The red leaves in the picture are a critical touch, forming a sharp contrast with the remote mountains, further intensifying the artistic result of the picture. From this picture, we can deeply feel Dichen’s penetrating comprehension of life and nature as well as a skilful mastery of the painting skills.        

 

Mr. Zhang was born in 1935 near the northeast Shuangliao a small county, the father in a local primary school recruits. No one was home engage in art. He likes painting at an early age. At the age of three, Mr. Zhang’s family dog nest birth to five puppies, he loved them and painted a picture for the puppies. At this time, several guests came to visit. They smoked and careless ash shells to the painting, burned a hole, he cried out. Family members have not been very concerned about it. Who can expect after so many years, a painting of this puppy, a famous painter's debut. The innocent childhood, Mr. Zhang always enjoyed painting. At that time, no teachers, no textbooks, no samples, and not even decent paper and pens, he is born with an interest in the art, housing, trees, flowers, animals, the object of his performance. Some people say that the interest is a solid foundation for success, I believe.

 

He painted very hard in his middle school. One person encouraged him and helped him so much for his art development. This person is Mr. Zhang’s art teacher, Mr. Yu Guozhi. Mr. Yu graduated from Si Chuan Art Institute. He has excellent painting techniques. Mr. Yu is very fond of Mr. Zhang Dichen. He asked him to be responsible for the school’s blackboard. Mr. Yu always buy cooked meat to reward him. Back then, there was a great shortage for food, not to mention cooked meat. Mr. Zhang Dichen’s painting technique has improved so much during that period.

 

After graduation from high school, he saw the advertisement for Beijing Art & Craft Institute. He took the train going to Beijing, the capital, with only five dollars that he saved. He took the exam and waited for the result. He was so excited and nerves the day for the result. He went boating at the Summer Palace with 2 other friends and came back to see the result when it was dark. His name was at the 4th spot. He passed the exam.

 

At that time, there are 2 very important art institute. Beijing Central Art Institute and Beijing Central Art & Craft Institute. To be selected by one of the important schools is a  great opportunity for Mr. Zhang Dichen. He determined to study hard and work hard.

 

After college graduation, Dichen was assigned to the Beijing Textile Research Institute and appointed as deputy director of the Arts & Graphics Editorial Office. Together with his colleagues, he edited and published the Ancient Chinese Designs, the Chinese Scenic Spot Designs, the Flower Designs and the Animal Designs, filling in a gap in the design of China’s domestic dyeing and knitting patterns.

 

During the Cultural Revolution, some artist workers also abandoned their specialities and threw themselves into the political torrent. However, Dichen maintained a calm psychological state and never abandoned his pursuit of art. During the period when he was transferred to work at a factory, he created many works such as “Grasp Revolution and Promote Production”, and “A Rainbow Rises in the Workshop”. These works were displayed in many enterprises of the textile industry. He also created a series of dance costumes for Mme. Chen Ailian, a famous dancer.

 

In 1978, as required by the policy of reform and opening up, and requested by the relevant department, Dichen created the “God of Longevity”, a traditional Chinese painting, for Mr. Siu Loong Pao, father of the Hong Kong shipping magnate Yue-kong Pao. In 1992, he created a traditional Chinese painting, the “Lijiang River”, and presented it to Mr. Stanley Ho, a notability in Macao.

 

In 1981, upon invitation Dichen held a painting exhibition in Britain and achieved a great success, serving as a link and a bridge for the cultural exchanges between China and Britain.

 

In 1984, due to Dichen’s artistic talent, Wang Hairong, president of the Central Museum of Culture and History, wanted to transfer him to the museum. The Personnel Bureau of the State Council issued the transfer order. But finally he did not go for some reason. Although more than 20 years have passed, when Dichen spoke about this matter, he still felt compunction for President Wang. Not long after that, he entered the Central Arts and Crafts College of China, his Alma Mater, where he taught until his retirement.  

 

In April 1993, a Chinese Contemporary Water and Ink Painting Exhibition was held at the grand national art gallery of Berne, the Swiss capital. Dichen’s “Vie with One Another for the First River”  won the admiration of the audience and was collected. For this, a reporter of the People’s Daily Overseas Edition did an interview and published an article in the newspaper, bearing the title “Artistic Conception is Touching”. 

 

In November 1993, a Chinese Painting Exhibition was held in Vienna, Austria. Dichen participated in the exhibition with his works “Pure White”, “Twists and Turns” and “Misty Rain in Guilin”.

 

In 1994, the German Embassy in China held a solo painting exhibition for Dichen. After the exhibition, the paintings were collected.

 

In 1995, as his daughter settled down in Canada, Dicheng also came to Toronto. The Toronto Centre for Information & Community Services held a learning Chinese painting course and engaged Dichen as a teacher. He enjoyed the love and esteem of  his students. In 1999, Toronto held an Exhibiiton of Paintings by Zhang Dichen and his Students. CFMT, Sing Tao Daily, Ming Pao Daily and World Daily covered the story.  

 

In 1995, Quebec strove for independence. With a view to safeguarding the unity of various ethnic groups and preventing split, Dichen created a work “Peaceful and Undisturbed Red Maple Leaves”, symbolic of national unity, and presented it to the relevant department. The painting was auctioned at the highest price at the evening party of Charity Night at the Century Palace Restaurant, Markham. Dichen was received by the Mayor and Councillors of Markham

 

In 1997, when a serious earthquake hit Yunnan, China, the Chinese Federation of Overseas Chinese in Canada organized disaster relief efforts and donations. Dichen meticulously made the Panda Painting, and donated the money from the auction of the painting to the disaster stricken area. 

 

In 2006, the Chinese Cultural and Art Centre of Toronto published an Album for Dichen. A famous painter Mr. A Lao wrote an article “Seek the Beauty of Nature – viewing Zhang Dichen’s Works”, giving a high appraisal of Dichen’s artistic achievements.

 

Dichen not only has achieved proud achievements in the painting practice but also has had profound attainments in the painting theory. Dichen holds that in learning Chinese paintings, people should foster a correct aesthetic viewpoint, cultivate an aesthetic interest on their own initiative, accept education in beauty and use the aesthetic viewpoint to enlighten and guide their own minds, arouse an interest for beauty, and use the true, the good and the beautiful to face everyting and life. Secondly, one should discover the beauty of the environment, the beauty of greatness of the Imperial Palace and the Great Wall, the beauty of magnificence of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, the beauty of elegance of the bridge over the running water in the south of the Yangtze River, and the beauty of changes of the Canadian architecture. Only by finding their varied and colourful beauty, can the beauty of paintings be created. Thirdly, we should experience the beauty of colours. Under the boundless universe, there is a profusion of colour, such as red flowers and green grass, the blue sky and white cloud, the brilliance of the sun and the moon, and the varied and graceful glow of sunset, which is a collection of colours. From another angle, Dichen’s paintings are a high-level combination of numerous colours. But the application of colours should be accurate, applying limited colours to produce an unlimited interest of colours. Only in this way, can it be considered a good grasp of the wonderful point of mastering colours.    

 

Dichen holds that for a painter, he must love nature and seek the beauty of nature. Only the broadness and profoundness of nature is beautiful, vivid and touching, generating the spiritual realm out of the genuine situation, with the ultimate form but the endless meaning. Dichen holds that Chinese paintings stress grandeur and the spiritual realm. He said that Chinese landscape paintings are specially valuable for their grandness, great genuineness, great truthfulness, great kindness, great wisdom, great movement, great stillness, great clumsiness, great simplicity, great unity and great harmony. Dichen said that Chinese aesthetics advocates the beauty of stillness. The highest expression of artistic laws are that movement tends to be still, turmoil tends to be orderly, weirdness tends to be regular and all things tend to return to one. In a good painting, these artistic laws should be reflected and interpreted.   

It is with such a theoretical understanding that Dichen’s works are free from world cares and not bound by conventions. But he is not satisfied with that. Dichen said, “There is no end to art, and the end of artistic life and creation is never known.”  As a painter, Dichen has been constantly pursuing and exploring. He has closely integrated his life with the painting art and with nature. Just because of that, his painting creation has made constant development and progress. People would find themselves in an entirely new world.