Poland-China Culture and Art Foundation

                           Exhibition of Works by Chinese Figure Painter Yu Wenjiang

First of all we thank Mr. Yu Wenjiang for his trust, support and authorisation for our foundation. It is forbidden to reproduce and use the photos of the works by anyone without the consent of the Foundation. In the event of a breach of rights, we will file a complaint for the protection of copyrights.

Among the peoples inhabiting China, Kazakh are distinguished by their nomadic lifestyle and long history. These shepherd nomads travel all year round with their herds and all their belongings, practising what is known as pasture rotation. In 1766, Emperor Qianlong issued an edict saying that "the lands are vast in Ili and in the surrounding areas, the more numerous people there the better." Over hundreds or even thousands of years, the permanent shepherd's trail used to this day was spontaneously created there - the famous Sa'erbulake Shepherd Trail. Kazakh are probably the last nomadic shepherd people in the world. Ages pass, but the method of pasture rotation remains the same...

This is the subject I chose when I accepted the commission to create a work as part of the “Silk Road” International Art Project. I have never been to a Kazakh shepherds camp before, nor have I experienced pastoral life while changing pastures, but accepting this commission gave me the opportunity to go to places that I have always wanted to visit. In July 2016, together with a few friends, I finally stood on the sacred land of the Kazakh of Xinjiang Province. From the Qing River to the Haba River, the Altai Mountains stretch in a long curve, among which lies the Fuhai region. In Fuhai, the wanderer's eyes enjoy the scene of herds being driven away by shepherds as more than a million sheep go to fertile spring pastures. It is on this ancient trail that the sight of this great journey is the most spectacular, and it is not only a wonderful and impressive journey, but also full of thousand-year-old Kazakh culture.

       A nation that lives on horseback, pastures full of lush grass - a land downstream from Eden! How beautiful is a life full of freedom. 

       The path of their journey is full of obstacles, but it also brings relief and happiness. We have nothing left but to look with delight at the magnificence of nature and the people who rise at dawn to watch over their flock, and go to rest with sunset, who travel through the mountains and sleep under the stars, who have the whole world as their home. The hardships of the road and mountain peaks are not enough to stop the unlettered Kazakh shepherds from their journey with their families; nor are they enough to break their iron will. There are no people in the world who travel more roads than Kazakh and move their homes more often than they do. Their history was written during the pasture grazing, their fame was born from endless moving. The Kazakh measure the world with their feet, following the green colour of life.

       Kazakh men direct their horses towards hope, women hold the future in their arms, and they carry everything they have with them in the attentive company of faithful herding dogs. The shepherd's trail, although full of changes, gives the Kazakh a joy from wander. After a bumpy road, a pasture full of juicy grass appears before their eyes - a new and better home, a garden of paradise! This was this scene that I wanted to depict. With a brush, I wanted to register this image that dates back thousands of years and pass it on to culture-sensitive people from all over the world, so that they can admire it and marvel at the ancient silk trail. And I wanted to express my appreciation to the last shepherd people in the world!

Yu Wenjiang
03-05-2018

190 cm×367 cm