Daughter of Song Dynasty

Zhao has taken fresh approaches in his new paintings, using traditional Chinese paintings as his background.  As usual, his modern girls are positioned in the center of the painting, and there is a reversal of time and space: the landscape seems to become real, and the modern girl is transformed into a girl from ancient times.  The background painting he uses in this piece is “Night Revels of Han Xizai,” one of the masterpieces of Chinese art by Gu Hongzhong (Song dynasty - 960 – 1279 a.d.).The painting depicts a night party with its fine food and woman, music, the host, who is a high ranking governor, and his guests. Zhao Kailin paints them in subdued tones, making their glorious culture and life appear far away, but the connection between past and present is obvious. The girl, elegant and tranquil, embodies what Zhao thinks of China and its culture.

Zhao worked on this piece for a considerable time, adjusting the lightness and tone between background and foreground many times, even re-painting the whole piece while seeking the ideal balance through which to reveal his vision. For the details in the background, it took him a long time to figure out how much should be. Now antiquity seems far away, but the girl still resides within it. Concentration falls on the girl, light shines on her face and body, and she is the focal point. Her pose, her fingers, the line of her arm, her simple necklace and red dress, even the fan in her hand, and most importantly, the expression on her face, none of them fail to express his concept of beauty. Zhao paints the inner depths. There is more than just a pretty face on the canvas; behind it, one finds the soul, a mood quietly speaking. 

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