Chinese-born painter Z. S. Liang creates historical scenes of American Indian life by Norman Kolpas - Essay Example

Chinese-born painter Z. S. Liang creates historical scenes of American Indian life by Norman Kolpas A native of the city of Guangzhou in China, Zhuo Shu Liang has emerged as a prominent artist who is preserving the history of American-Indians’ way of life. Growing up under Chairman Mao’s sweeping purge on capitalism in China, Liang did not think that his artistic talent that he had inherited from his father would make him a champion who lead the protection of Indians’ history. In fact, Liang wanted to become an engineer as his childhood fantasies were full of military artillery that ranged from weapons, ships, submarines, airplanes.

Nonetheless, the purge by Mao led Liang to artwork that mainly consisted of Mao and Chinese workers. He then continued his studies after things settled down in China and went ahead to join various Art Schools in China, which consequently led to his successful application to the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 1983. Ever since, he has been in America and even obtained the country’s citizenship. After graduating from Boston University, Liang worked as an interior designer following his hiring by a hotel although his laying off from the design firm during the recession of the 1990s contributed to his current success.

He chanced upon a picture of an Indian posing with his traditional wear that led to his search for the Indian, which started his theme for the preservation of the American-Indian culture as he started his artistic work by drawing the Indians in their traditional gear. As a result, his work depicts the Indian way of life with one of his expensive pieces selling for $345,000 at an auction in 1999. Liang has settled closer to the Indian tribes in order to understand their way of life and preserve their culture through paintings.

Work Cited Kolpas, Norman. Chinese-born painter Z.S. Liang creates historical scenes of American Indian life. Southwest Art. 12 Oct. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. .