Yao Youxin

Yao Youxin (Chinese: 姚有信；pinyin: Yáo Yǒu Xìn) was born on July 12, 1935 in Shanghai, China. Son of a jewelry store clerk, Yao was the second youngest of six children. As a young child he already demonstrated incredible talent in drawing figures. At the age of 14, due to his family's declining finances, he had to quit school and work to support the family. He apprenticed for a famous comic book (连环画) publisher in Shanghai, and began his early career in book illustrations.

In 1954 Yao got accepted into the prestigious Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (浙江美术学院) in Hang Zhou, one of the two top art colleges in the country at that time. In college, Yao majored in figure painting and studied traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy techniques under Pan Tianshou (潘天寿), a renowned artist and art educator. Yao also became very interested in western style painting and received formal training in classical western art techniques and theories.

In 1959, Yao Youxin married his wife, Yang Lina (杨丽娜), a classmate of his in Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts. After graduation in 1959 the couple moved back to Shanghai and had a career in art teaching, book illustrations and freelance artwork. Their work often required them to travel throughout the country, sometimes reaching remote countryside and minority communities. During their years of extensive traveling, Yao created a large number of drawings and paintings portraying local people of various ethnicities within their daily lives. He also won numerous competitions and awards, and had his work exhibited not only in Beijing and Shanghai, but also in Vienna of Austria, Moscow of USSR and Leipzig of East Germany.

In 1966, the Cultural Revolution broke out and Yao's life took a drastic turn. Freelance work ended. Many traditional art subjects such as landscape, still life and non-politically-themed figure painting were also banned. Many artists and intellectuals, including Yao's teacher Pan Tianshou, were persecuted and perished. In 1968 his daughter was born. In order to protect himself and his family. Yao left the academic community and found employment in a cable factory in Shanghai. There he was able to continue his artistic endeavor by working in the factory's Propaganda Department, painting Mao's portraits and other politically mandated artwork typical of that era. Yao's training in both western and eastern art enabled him to render lifelike portraits in traditional ink-and-brush medium. It helped him establish a reputation as one of the leading figure painters of that time. In 1971, Yao was commissioned to create two giant ink-and-brush paintings, both of which were showcased in the Great Hall of Reception during President Nixon's historical visit to China.

In 1972, Yao Youxin became a professional resident painter at Shanghai China Art Academy (上海中国画院), an art institution established by Chinese government to create and promote art "for the people". The Academy employs some of the best artists in the nation, and being a member of this Academy was a recognition of one's high artistic achievement. At the Academy he continued his work to serve the state's propaganda machine, until several years later, when Cultural Revolution finally ended. As the nation recovered from over a decade of intellectual and artistic destruction, Yao found a new sense of freedom in his artistic creativity. He was once again allowed to paint subjects that were formally forbidden. He was also exposed to many western artworks that were previously banned, and took a special interest in the art of impressionism in particular. He utilized brilliant colors and impressionist brush strokes instead of mere ink lines to create shapes and shades, a very avant garde move in the Chinese traditional-style art field at that time. Yao's work was showcased in a number of regional and national exhibitions, as well as internationally in Japan, Canada and Singapore. Meanwhile, Yao had resumed his book illustration work, producing full colored illustrations for the picture book Shang Shi (伤逝), based on a novella written by Lu Xun (鲁迅). This book won him an award in a national book illustration competition. In 1980 The Cultural Ministry of the People's Republic of China conferred the title "Renowned Chinese Painter"(著名画家) to Yao, granting him a status among the top Chinese artists in the country.

Despite his success, Yao Youxin was yearning for the world outside of China. He wanted to visit the museums abroad and see the Masters' work with his own eyes. He became increasingly fascinated with western contemporary art including abstract art while China at that time still considered it a taboo. In 1981, Yao immigrated to the United States of America in search of more freedom of expression and exposure to world art. In 1982 he entered the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Fine Arts to study contemporary art. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1985. Around the same time he was also teaching art to make a living. From 1982 to 1984 he was the Professor of Fine Arts in Philadelphia College of Art. In 1984 he taught at Moore College of Art as Adjunct Professor.

Between 1981 and 1983, Yao had a number of exhibitions in Japan, Singapore, Philadelphia and Aspen, Colorado. In 1987 Yao was represented by NYC's Hammer Gallery and had his solo exhibition of oil paintings there. In 1989 he had a solo exhibition at Singapore's Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, showcasing Chinese style finger paintings on silk. In 1992 he had another successful solo exhibition in Singapore, with his newest collection of oil paintings including the portrait of then President Lee Kuan Yew.

In 1988 Yao Youxin became a citizen of the United States.

During his years in America Yao had established a lucrative career in portrait painting. He received commissions from some very high-profile clientele and painted portraits for Dr. and Mrs. Armand Hammer, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Mrs. Gorbachev and Los Angeles major Tom Bradley. Among his many portrait clients were doctors, Hollywood entertainers, businessmen and their families.

In 1995 Yao purchased a house in Walton, New York and found solitude painting what he considered all the beautiful things in life in a quiet scenic hillside. He planted a lush garden and turned his horticultural creations into lively images on canvas. He also carried his portable easel and live-painted landscape of the enchanting countryside. He painted people too, especially children. He also expanded his repertoire to include jazz performances to horse races.

On June 21, 1996, Yao Youxin died from a traffic incident near his home in update New York shortly before his 61st birthday. He was survived by his daughter and two grandsons.

• Yao Youxin, Hammer Galleries with 19 color Illustrations, Édition The Galleries, 1987

• Yao Youxin on Artprice
• California African American Museum
• Oeuvres de Yao Youxin on Artnet