傳統(tǒng)中國(guó)畫(huà)歷史悠久，遠(yuǎn)在2000多年前的戰(zhàn)國(guó)時(shí)期就出現(xiàn)了畫(huà)在絲織品上的繪畫(huà)——帛畫(huà)，而這也可以說(shuō)是中國(guó)畫(huà)最早的起源。通常概念中，國(guó)畫(huà)多用水墨表現(xiàn)自然風(fēng)物，風(fēng)土人情，數(shù)千年來(lái)不外乎青綠山水、金碧山水、淺絳山水、沒(méi)骨山水等。而畫(huà)家何起寶卻以“水”畫(huà)火，以“墨”畫(huà)火，以自己的生命去畫(huà)火，以其一己之力開(kāi)創(chuàng)了用“火”的特殊風(fēng)格來(lái)表現(xiàn)中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)山水畫(huà)藝術(shù)的“火墨畫(huà)”，堪為中國(guó)畫(huà)“火”第一人，也是“火墨畫(huà)派”的創(chuàng)始人。
何起寶近影
何起寶，1958年出生于河北省三河市，插過(guò)隊(duì)，當(dāng)過(guò)知青，推崇毛澤東、周恩來(lái)、馬克思等歷史偉人。后參加到油田工作。期間，白天積極投入到工作當(dāng)中，晚上自學(xué)山石盆景制作、攝影和潛心研究佛教思想理論，人生經(jīng)歷豐富而坎坷。在荒無(wú)人煙的山林大漠工作多年的特殊經(jīng)歷，使得其性格也如大山一般，超絕而逸氣超拔。在確定自己的繪畫(huà)藝術(shù)之路后，經(jīng)過(guò)自己的拼搏學(xué)習(xí)和努力，考入中央美術(shù)學(xué)院，受教于當(dāng)時(shí)的“黃潤(rùn)華、李行簡(jiǎn)、胡勃”等老師。后又經(jīng)過(guò)幾年努力，進(jìn)一步提高了自己的繪畫(huà)水平，也看到了自己更多的不足，認(rèn)識(shí)到想要在繪畫(huà)上有更深一層的突破，光靠自己?jiǎn)我坏难芯渴遣粔虻模ㄟ^(guò)一番努力，有幸結(jié)識(shí)了中國(guó)山水畫(huà)名家“陳克永”先生，并認(rèn)其為師父。而陳克永先生為一代國(guó)畫(huà)大師白雪石的入室弟子，這樣看來(lái)，可以說(shuō)何起寶先生也是白雪石大師的再傳弟子。白雪石先生曾為北京山水畫(huà)研究會(huì)的會(huì)長(zhǎng)，曾多次為中南海繪制巨幅作品，何起寶先生繼承了白雪石先生對(duì)于大場(chǎng)面的把握能力，接其衣缽，何先生作品開(kāi)創(chuàng)了“大氣魄”，“大場(chǎng)面”，“大意境”的山水畫(huà)風(fēng)格。從中也可一窺白雪石先生廣采博取北派，南派，運(yùn)用傳統(tǒng)技法和現(xiàn)代章法創(chuàng)造出具有獨(dú)特風(fēng)格的白派山水。而何起寶先生山水畫(huà)中那蒼莽大氣的畫(huà)風(fēng)，勁健恣肆的筆墨運(yùn)用，結(jié)構(gòu)豐富細(xì)膩的畫(huà)風(fēng)又可看出其親授老師陳克永的影響，而何起寶在兼收兩位恩師藝術(shù)之精髓的基礎(chǔ)上又以自己的天賦異稟與勤奮予作品以旋轉(zhuǎn)強(qiáng)烈的動(dòng)勢(shì)、大膽不羈的色彩，筆到意達(dá)，筆筆直抒內(nèi)心波瀾壯闊的奔放激情，寓作品以深遠(yuǎn)的意境。畫(huà)家在繼承傳統(tǒng)繪畫(huà)技法風(fēng)格的深刻體會(huì)之上，逐漸認(rèn)識(shí)和形成了自己的藝術(shù)觀念和筆墨技法，在自己幾十年的藝術(shù)創(chuàng)作上逐漸形成了“火”和傳統(tǒng)山水完美融合的創(chuàng)新風(fēng)格，實(shí)現(xiàn)了幾千年來(lái)傳統(tǒng)山水畫(huà)上的一個(gè)巨大突破與革新，也由此創(chuàng)立了獨(dú)一無(wú)二的“火墨畫(huà)”派系。
何起寶作品
何起寶先生的作品借鑒自然物質(zhì)之物來(lái)表現(xiàn)自己的思想觀念和內(nèi)心世界。對(duì)佛法有著精深研究的何起寶先生把表現(xiàn)萬(wàn)物生命的和平、美好、希望的思想放在其藝術(shù)創(chuàng)作的首位。把強(qiáng)烈、積極向上、充滿激情的內(nèi)心世界融入到自己的作品當(dāng)中。而“火”的創(chuàng)新藝術(shù)作為先生的獨(dú)有風(fēng)格，在何起寶的繪畫(huà)生涯中占據(jù)了最為重要的位置。畫(huà)家通過(guò)自然載體，把內(nèi)心世界的大美、激情通過(guò)那一團(tuán)團(tuán)熊熊燃燒的烈火以自己獨(dú)創(chuàng)的藝術(shù)形式在傳統(tǒng)的中國(guó)山水畫(huà)中淋漓盡致的表現(xiàn)了出來(lái)。
何起寶作品
如何把佛家積極、向上、美好的思想理念傳遞給觀眾始終是何起寶老師最大的愿望。萬(wàn)物都有紅火的希望，而何起寶老師把“火”的創(chuàng)新風(fēng)格融入傳統(tǒng)山水，希望通過(guò)“火”本身的寓意把追求紅紅火火、蒸蒸日上、希望、好運(yùn)的思想想法表達(dá)出來(lái)，也實(shí)現(xiàn)了何起寶老師傳播佛家積極、向上、美好理念的愿望。
何起寶先生不僅在中國(guó)畫(huà)千年發(fā)展史上做出了重大突破，更是在作品的境界上達(dá)到了前無(wú)古人的氣勢(shì)。筆者有幸親見(jiàn)畫(huà)家數(shù)幅巨作，無(wú)論是“山火魂”還是“萬(wàn)家燈火”皆為大氣磅礴之鴻篇巨制，站在這氣勢(shì)恢宏的長(zhǎng)卷前，筆者被其畫(huà)面中所表現(xiàn)的大氣恢弘所深深震撼。正如何起寶先生所言：“我的作品不僅僅需要體現(xiàn)技法，那未免流于膚淺，我認(rèn)為更重要的是表達(dá)出我內(nèi)心世界的思想。”何起寶老師“火”的創(chuàng)新風(fēng)格在突破傳統(tǒng)山水風(fēng)格之上，又把自我想要傳遞的佛教思想完美的融入其作品當(dāng)中，達(dá)到了傳統(tǒng)山水融入創(chuàng)新風(fēng)格而體現(xiàn)內(nèi)心思想的完美結(jié)合。
當(dāng)我們駐足在畫(huà)家作品前時(shí)，那發(fā)自靈魂深處的熊熊之焰鋪面而來(lái)，氣場(chǎng)強(qiáng)大而攝人心魄。畫(huà)家用筆狂放不羈，脫離了技法與俗事的羈絆，意境脫俗而天地合一，何起寶筆下作品既是自己多年傳奇人生經(jīng)歷的現(xiàn)實(shí)關(guān)照，更是對(duì)人生，對(duì)佛學(xué)的大徹大悟后的淋漓揮灑而寫(xiě)就的壯闊篇章。先生藝術(shù)的核心與唯一性就在于其圖像意境的創(chuàng)新，風(fēng)格與審美情趣的不同，如何在傳統(tǒng)水墨這些幾千年來(lái)傳承下來(lái)的文化精髓中突破出新？這一難題可以說(shuō)在先生的“火墨畫(huà)”作品里得到了完美的解答。“水”與“火”的沖突與和諧在何起寶先生的畫(huà)作中完美體現(xiàn)。先生借古托今，使我們看到了予感性中的一種理性抗?fàn)帲约皩?duì)自由境界的不懈追求。
To paint flames with water
——The founder of flame painting
Jun Liu
Chinese painting has a long history. Painting on silks in the Warring States period, named Bo Hua in Chinese, is possibly the origin of the Chinese painting. Generally, traditional Chinese painting is characterized by green and blue landscape, shallow purple landscape and non-sketch lines landscape. In the long-term development, natural scenery and local conditions and customs have been following above characteristics. However，He Qibao’s painting works show us the fire’s characteristics，shape, quality and momentum. He has been painting the image of flame and has devoted himself to it. As the founder of the Flame Painting School，Mr. He makes a breakthrough in Chinese painting history.
He Qibao was born in the city of Sanhe, Hebei. Since his birth in 1958, he suffered a lot. Once he was sent to live and work in a production team as an intellectual. His special experience in the mountains, forests and deserts, made his bold and unconstrained character. He learned many years from famous painter Chen Keyong, Bai Xueshi's disciple. That is to say, He Qibao is the indirect-disciple of Bai Xueshi, who was the chairman of Beijing Landscape Painting Research Association. Bai Xueshi painted many times for Zhongnanhai. He Qibao has inherited Bai Xueshi’ability of controlling big spectacle and has created the landscape style of great spectacle, great artistic conception and great boldness of vision, where we can see the Bai School’s landscape unique painting style by traditional techniques and modern tricks, absorbing painting elements of South of China School and North of China School. He Qibao’s painting styles, indistinctly broad vision, powerfully unrestrained color and diversely delicate techniques, are influenced by the painting style of his teacher Chen Keyong. Moreover, with standing on the shoulders of his two mentors and depending on his own gift and hard work, every line of his paintings, strongly gyrating, unstrained color and delicate techniques, manifests his intense emotion and the deep artistic conception. He has formed his own artistic concept based on the traditional painting techniques and styles. He has created his unique painting works, image of flames, originating from his decade’s art making. He has made a revolution in Chinese landscape painting.
Mr. He expresses his thought and emotion by what natural things show in his works. Mr. He deeply studies Buddha dharma and he puts the thoughts of peace, kindness and hope in the first place of artistic creation. He has made intense passion and positive attitude into his painting works. As a unique style, the flames painting works play an important role in He Qibao’s painting career. Through the unique painting of naturally raging flames, he fully expresses the Broad Beauty in his heart, and his unique artistic creation also stands out in traditional Chinese landscape painting.
Mr. He’s best wish is to present the peace, positive attitude and beauty of Buddha dharma in his painting works. As a new medium, image of fire has perfectly expressed the Buddha dharma under Mr. He’s painting techniques.
He Qibao not only makes a breakthrough in painting images but also attains high artistic conception. I luckily saw his two great works, Soul of Mountain Flames and Myriad Lights manifesting his boldness and grandness. Standing before these great works, I was shocked. As Mr. He says, “Mind and thought underlying painting works are the most important things, while techniques of painting works is superficial.” Mr. He’s flames painting based on traditional landscape painting fully contains Buddha dharma what he wants to expresses. It is a perfect combination of traditional painting characteristics, innovative styles and his own thought and emotion.
When we see Mr. He’s painting works, we can shockingly feel that the fire flames up to our face, which shows great scenery. Mr. He boldly gets rid of traditional painting techniques and trivial matters and creates elegant artistic conception, the sky and the earth in one. His great painting works on the understanding of Buddha dharma and life represent his special experience. The artistic conception is unique. His painting style and aesthetics are different from others. The flame painting is the development of traditional wash painting and it also can be thought as a revolution. In Mr. He’s painting works, the contradiction and harmony between water and fire are completely manifested. Mr. He has developed the traditional Chinese painting. His emotion contains the rational conflict and he will pursue freedom and liberty in his painting career.