Painter Xiong Qinghua creates in his Western-style home and studio in Changhe village, Hubei province, many surrealist images that reflect the serene past of the countryside and its current realities. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Xiong Qinghua is considered a "weirdo" in his native Changhe village, near the city of Xiantao in Central China's Hubei province.
The 40-year-old taught himself oil painting at 14 and two years later he dropped out of middle school to paint while continuing to work on a farm.
Later, he took up odd jobs to support his dream of becoming a painter, including working at hardware shops and delivering milk.
When his fellow villagers began to migrate to cities for better jobs, he stayed behind to depict the dramatic changes in the countryside and in people's mindsets.
He did not sell any work until 2010 when pictures of his paintings went viral.
People were then amazed by the raw, unsophisticated style of his brushstrokes.
The reality of the countryside, which he portrayed, stirred nostalgia for the peaceful, idyllic rural life that is disappearing amid industrialization and urbanization.
Xiong's second solo exhibition, Immortal Village, ended on Friday at Beijing's Chen Gallery, in the 798 art zone, where many of his paintings were sold.
Meanwhile, a book on him titled A Wild Potato has been published.
Reacting to compliments like "Vincent van Gogh of China" because of their similar approaches to rural themes, and the fact their work was not recognized for a long time, Xiong says: "I can only laugh off the comparison. I feel a bit embarrassed. People do not know many (Western) painters and mention the few names they can remember when showing praise."
"Van Gogh died at 37 and sold only one painting in his lifetime while I have sold more than 50.
"In this respect, I think I've outperformed him," he says, laughing aloud.
